Bar Rosso (@barrossoct) is a new restaurant/bar that specializes in Italian “comfort food.” Bar Rosso is owned by Mary Schaffer, who also owns Napa & Co. on Broad Street. The restaurant is spacious and offers seating outside, on the first floor, and also the second floor overlooking the bar.
The wine list only consists of Italian wines, so if you aren’t familiar with the wine regions, there is a chalkboard above the bar displaying the map of Italy and its provinces, and the characteristics of the wine in that region. We ordered a reasonably priced bottle of Chianti and kicked off the night with an Italian Bar Snacks plate (3 items for $19), with my 3 choices of Fried Calamari, Sausage & Peppers, Meatballs. The fried calamari was good, not great – the batter was delicious, but the calamari was too oily. The sausage & peppers were excellent, although, again, on the oily side. I loved the whole green peppers that were slightly charred. They paired well with the sausage and had a smoky taste.
The juicy meatballs were served in a small jar, and were the best of the three tapas I tried. The mix of veal and ricotta was perfect, giving it a light, yet savory taste. The red sauce it was served in was excellent. I highly recommend ordering this when you’re here.
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| Italian bar snacks – front to back: Fried Calamari, Sausage & Peppers, Meatballs & Gravy |
Overall, the bar snacks were too oily for my liking. I felt the grease circulating through my system after the first few bites.
Fortunately, the traditional Margherita Pizza made up for it though. It’s simple ingredients just made it, well, perfect: perfect crust, delicious tomato sauce made with San Marzano tomatoes, fresh homemade mozzarella, sprinkled with fresh sliced basil leaves. The Chianti paired well with the pizza, and our waiter passed by and reconfirmed that.
You can also use some of the condiments they serve with the pizza: fresh roasted garlic, grated Parmesan cheese, and crushed red pepper. The fresh roasted garlic was terrific: crunchy and flavorful, I kept Mmm’ing at the table. I’d like to make this at home one day.
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| Margherita Pizza |
The Panna Cotta was the perfect ending to our late night meal at Bar Rosso. I’m a big fan of panna cotta because it’s so refreshing, light, and has a nice texture. I was impressed by the panna cotta at Bar Rosso – it was silky smooth with the contrasting texture of granola and pistachio to give it some crunch. The orange was a nice touch to it – some pieces were sweet, and some were sour. Overall, it was heavenly and I’d love to have another now.
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| Panna Cotta with orange, granola, and pistachio |
Overall, I had a great, filling experience at Bar Rosso. I’m looking forward to dining here again with an appetite for their Osso Bucco, which I’m told is excellent.
Bar Rosso
24 Spring Street
Stamford, CT 06901
www.barrossoct.com
Tel: (203) 388-8640
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| A view of the pizza oven from the second floor |
