Saturday, May 28, 2011

Bar Rosso Initial Thoughts

Bar Rosso is located in the old Bennett's Fish and Steakhouse. The inside is redone beautifully and it was very busy when we were there on Friday. We were the only people there with a kid; there were many couples on dates and several groups of friends. Bar Rosso is run by the same owners as Napa, which you KNOW I (and Robert DeNiro and Ron Howard) adore.

My initial thoughts are that the food at Bar Rosso was too heavily flavored. I love strong flavor, but the spaghetti with meatballs was very, very garlicky. The sausage that came with my chicken entree was coated in what I think was parmesan and it was just too much for me. Maybe it was because I filled up on delicious bread, though.

The husband got filet mignon and potatoes. He ate most of it (which for him is a very good sign) but said it was a bit dry. His garlicky potatoes were great.

Next time I go to Bar Rosso I'm going to try the salad and a pizza, although the buzz on twitter was that the pizza dough was a bit off. My Twiends also found the flat screen TVs annoying, but they also agreed that a new place needs time to sort itself out.

The good thing is that prices are much lower than Napa, so once Bar Rosso gets itself on track, I think it will be a great place to go. I am crazy about pizza, and to have a nice resto offer it makes my heart sing. There looked to be 24-30 outdoor seats, which should be a real boon to Bar Rosso.

My verdict is that Bar Rosso is definitely worth a visit. There is a lot on the menu and I need you to let me know what is awesome so I can try it, too.

Check out this informative write up at CT Bites:
--Behind The Scenes @ Bar Rosso's Stamford Opening

I also just found this write up at OMNOMCT which gives some suggestions for what to try and does note that they found the food to be a "bit too salty."
--Hallelujah! A feast worth waiting for.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Really like your blog, thanks so much for linking to us. :) We both saw the same kind of things at Bar Rosso, it seems. Your description's right on...everything had a bit too much flavor. You know, that's what we like...reviewers that aren't afraid to tell it like it is. We also think we have to try the pizza, too, to really see what Bar Rosso's like.

Manager Mom said...

We ate at Bar Rosso last week and loved it. We got a bunch of the bar snacks - meatballs, calamari, roasted beets, roasted olives, garlicky potatoes, marinated cauliflower. Of all of those I thought everything was delicious, especially the meatballs and potatoes.

We also tried the Mushroom pizza and the bucatini with pork ragout - that pasta dish was a real standout. I definitely am going back!

Streets of Stamford said...

Please don't tell me that "twiends" is now a word... :P

Anonymous said...

I will have to check it out! Thanks for the great blog.

Anonymous said...

Ate there last night with a large group (8) and it was absolutely out of this world crazy good. We tried all different dishes and apps. Definitely will be back again and again. Excellent service and professional staff.

Kermit the Blog said...

Very heavy handed with the salt, even my olive oil was pre-salted. Surprising for a place I assumed would be more focused on subtle flavors and quality of ingredients. The menu is also a bit underwhelming, I had been hoping for something more creative. The space is beautiful, I hope they can pull it together.

Anonymous said...

The flat screens offer entertainment for individuals that like to go to a vibrant atmosphere to watch a game. Something was needed in Stamford besides the likes of the usual pub/beer venues or restaurants tuned into cooking shows (really annoying). Not sure the whole house music Thursdays work though. I have a feeling they are trying to jump on the bartaco success.