Monroe’s La Strada—

Italy Is Just Down The Road

Since opening its doors at Tollgate Plaza in Monroe in January 2004, La Strada has been well received and is steadily building a regular clientele. “We have been very pleased with the community response to our efforts,” said Giuseppe Cinque, manager and partner. “We have also listened to suggestions from our customers and offer special events to meet their interests.

“On Wednesday, June 29, for example, we will be having an Italian wine tasting dinner with Camillo Di Fulvio, president of Abuzzi Imports, as our guest speaker. Each course of the six-course dinner will be accompanied by a specially selected wine. We are also a participating restaurant in the Date for Eight program, which meets here once a month.”

Reservations are required for wine tasting dinner, which costs $64 per person plus tax and gratuity, as well the Date for Eight evenings (for information on that program see d8for8.com).

Prior to opening La Strada with this partner Michael Bodetti of TNT Partners, Newtown, Mr Cinque worked in Terra in Greenwich and Solé in New Canaan and strives to bring the quality of those restaurants to this area. He adds that the La Strada’s chef previously chefed at restaurants in New York City.

Mr Cinque also notes that the partners will be opening a second location in southern Fairfield County this fall.

The menu at La Strada is more limited and upscale than those of many Italian restaurants, but not much more expensive. All entrees include a garden salad and vegetable del giorno. The selections are Northern and Southern Italian and from the Amalfi Coast; emphasis is put on the freshness of the foods offered and dishes are readily adjusted to the dietary needs of the customer. The printed menu is supplemented with daily specials.

The dinner menu offers a choice of several appetizers, ranging from insalata di Caesar (hearts of romaine lettuce with focaccia croutons and Caesar dressing) for $7 to Carpaccio (thinly sliced beef with arugola leaves and white truffle oil topped with shaved parmigiana cheese) and insalatina di mare, chilled clams, mussels, tender calamari, baby octopus, and shrimp, marinated in lemon, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh herbs, both $14. Other selections include baby clams and Maine mussels sautéed in white wine, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh herbs, $11, fried calamari with marinara sauce, $9, and a daily soup.

A variety of pasta entrees are priced from $12 to $18, and a risotto of the day at market price is also available.

Seafood is a specialty of La Strada. Currently on the menu are spigola alla Livornese, pan seared fillet of striped bass, plum tomatoes, black olives, red onions, capers in a light tomato broth, $21; trota ripiena, oven roasted rainbow trout, wrapped alla crepe style, stuffed with crab meat and mixed vegetables, in a light lobster sauce and served with vegetables, $22; salmon allo zatterano, Atlantic salmon filet topped with sea scallops, fresh herbs, and served in a creamy saffron sauce, $19; and grigliata di mare, seared sea scallops, colossal shrimp, filet of salmon and bass with diced tomato, parsley, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, $24.

The seafood specials offered depend on availability and can include such items as baby octopus, Dover sole, and Chilean sea bass.

The entrée selection is rounded out with a choice of grilled New York strip steak, $26; veal saltimbocca, $21; pan seared pork chop with hot cheery peppers, $21; and two chicken breast dishes, a boneless chicken braised with artichokes, asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, in a delicate madera sauce, $19, and a semiboneless chicken prepared “hunter style,” braised with onions, porcini mushrooms, vegetables in a white wine sauce, $18.

La Strada also offers a children’s menu and all items are available for takeout.

The restaurant and bar has three sections and the attractive décor features soft yellow painted walls, wood floors, pendant lighting, and a selection of specially produced plates on the walls. The 35-seat main dining room is in the right front, has large windows on two sides and is sun-filled during daylight hours.

The 23-seat bar is to the left in the front and offers patrons a choice of bar seating, two tall tables, and five standard tables. A happy hour with complimentary appetizers is offered at the bar from 5 to 6:30. A large room to the rear of the restaurant can accommodate up to 60 and is used during busier times, generally on the weekends, and for private events.

There are also four tables out front where diners can have coffee and dessert. Desserts are priced from $5 to $7 and include tiramisu, gelato or sorbetto of the day, and a warm apple tart ala mode.

In addition to full bar service, La Strada offers wine by the glass (a dozen choices, priced at $6–$8 each) and by the bottle. The Italian, French, and California selections include three sparking wines, six whites, and 15 reds ranging in price from $28 to $105, most under $40.

La Strada translates as “the road,” and the name was taken from Frederico Fellini’s 1954 classic staring Anthony Quinn, Giulietta Masina, and Richard Basehart, one of Mr Cinque’s favorites. Two posters from the movie adorn a wall in the bar area.

La Strada Italian Restaurant and Bar, 838 Main Street (Route 25) in Monroe, is open for lunch Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 to 3, and for dinner Tuesday through Saturday, 5 to 10, Sunday, 4 to 10 (closed Monday). For reservations or information, 261-2900 or visit lastradact.com.