TOMĀTO TOMÄTO to Offer Italian and Takes on Modern American in the Shippan Area of Stamford

You like potato and I like potahto,
You like tomato and I like tomahto,
Potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto!

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Oh Gershwin brothers, you are both so wise.  Somehow they were able to fortell the coming of a restaurant in Stamford.  Somewhere around May March 2013 we’ll have TOMĀTO TOMÄTO Pizzeria and Pour House on 401 Shippan Ave, right by Cafe Silvium and Cummings Park.  At the helm of the kitchen will be the former owner and chef of Stamford’s Mona Lisa, Luciano Magliulo.  Chef Luciano also recently cooked at the now closed Piatto Osteria on Hope Street.

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So, what can you expect here?  Well, starting off you can expect a great spot to take the family for pizza and salad without breaking the bank.  Also, it’ll be a good place to swing by for a lunch or dinner, have some wine or beer, relax, enjoy, and even go on a date.   The menu will feature their thin crust pizza, traditional Italian apps, salads, and pastas with a twist of Modern American.  Luciano’s been working on and perfecting the sauce for the pies for quite a while now and everybody’s very impressed with the results.  Also, for those long days, celebrations, and just ol’ fashioned drinking they’ll have a fully stocked bar with a nice and affordable wine selection, too.  There will be over 50 different bottles that will be $6-11 per glass or $20-$55 per bottle.  And, you can also look forward to having some great beer with pizza…really one of the finer things in life.

All the Right Ingredients @ Olio on Hope Street – Stamford, CT

Olio is now open!

Update:  see the review of our great experience at Olio. 

Passion.  That’s the first word that comes to mind when I think about Steve Costanzo and Moira Hyland.  Passion.  It’s passion that took them away from corporate America to follow their dreams when a spot opened up at 934 Hope Street where Bella Luna used to be.  When they both checked out the spot, they fell madly in love and knew that they were destined to be the owners.

So, I need to introduce you to both owners of Olio (opening July 5) before I can go on.  Moira went for culinary training at The Natural Gourmet Institute so she could understand cooking, techniques, and so that she would understand the ins and outs of the restaurant biz. Her personality bubbles over and you get the sense that she’s take charge, gives her all, and is very proud of her work.  Steve is this way, too, and they mesh well together.  In fact, they often refer to each other as family.  Moira says here and there that Steve samples too many dishes and Steve states that she annoyingly steals all of his fries when they are eating.  Steve, I know what that’s like…Kristien is also a thief.  You get the feeling that they are like brother and sister, loving each other but also ribbing and goading each other.

As for Steve, he has had an interesting career.  He began by delivering food and one of his stops just happened to be a catering business.   One day he asked if they needed any help chopping or prepping meals.  He left his job, began cooking and his love of food grew and blossomed.  Steve soon found himself sautéing, flambéing, baking, cooking, and grilling at the New York Restaurant School in Manhattan.

The Food

Now, onto Olio.  At first, I had visions in my head of another Italian restaurant in Stamford, but I was wrong.  Actually, Olio means “a dish of many different ingredients” in Spanish.  It’s no coincidence that a Spanish name was chosen by Steve’s daughter because the menu has big, bold flavors from Latino cuisine.  You’ve got fresh fruits like cassava and avocado and dishes such as a carnitas torta and beef short ribs with ancho chili tomato confit.  One of the dishes that he just added to the menu is a slow braised pork shoulder served over crispy plantains, served with pickled red onions and coriander.  He also has planned out a killer homemade ricotta gnocchi that promises to be light as air, strewn with lumps of lobsters, sprinkled with shallots, and bathed in a luscious brandy tomato cream sauce.  There are vegetarian options, too, don’t fret:  there’s a zucchini roulade for example.  He’ll lightly slice the zucchini, then put farmers ricotta, lemon, and plum tomato confit on top, then roll it up.  Ah, that just screams out summer, just screams out fresh.  Feel like seeing the full menu?  Steve was kind enough to share it with us, just check it out at the end of the post.

Speaking of the menu, Steve and Moira will be keeping it small and manageable.  The advantages of this?  Steve will be able to add in flare and creative dishes with specials.  Also, this will help Olio to create new menus as the seasons change, drawing from local sources whenever possible.  They’ll be starting off with lunch and dinner and will move in a killer brunch when they get into their stride.  Think some time around August.

The Drinks

The day I went to visit Olio was the same day that their wine distributor came by and let them sample some fun and unique wines.  Good news for you, Omnomivores:  whereas some restaurants START their bottles at $32, Olio has made $32 their most expensive bottle.  You’ll find bottles here that you can’t really find at your local shop, giving you a nice chance to explore and find a new favorite.  They will also have some bottles and cans of beer for purchase.

Special Events

There will be wine and beer tastings from time to time for diners to take advantage of.  When Steve and Moira find a new beer they like, they’ll snatch it up and put it on the menu.  Also, keep both eyes and both ears out for their wine and beer dinners.  There will also be cooking classes with Steve from time to time, so you can learn to cook like he does.  Finally, they plan to have educational and interactive events based around a central local ingredient or product.

Olio

Noms:  TBD

Cost:  $$$

Address:  934 Hope Street

                  Stamford, CT 06905

Phone:  (203) 817-0303

Fax:  (203) 817-0305

The Lunch Menu

Starters

Oven Roasted Tomato Soup $8

  Coriander Crème Fraiche

Wild Mushroom Crostini $10

  Cippoline Onion, Telleggio Cheese and Truffle oil

Boston lettuce Wedge $8

 Crispy Pancetta, Soft Poached Egg, Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing

Tri Color $8

 Arugula, Boston Lettuce & Radicchio, Roasted Peppers, Shaved Grana Padana, Balsamic Vinaigrette

Zucchini Roulade $8

Farmers Ricotta, Lemon, Plum Tomato Confit

BBQ Spareribs $10

Miso Soy, Sesame & Charred Green Onions

Entrées

All Sandwiches Served with House Made Fries

Olio Chopped Salad $11

Candied Pecans, Blue Cheese, Avocado, Grilled Corn and Roasted Beets

Fresh Roast Turkey Breast $11

 Brie, Arugula, Cranberry Mayo on Multi Grain

Grilled Salmon $14

Shaved Fennel, Red Onion, Oranges and Basil, Mixed Greens, Sherry Vinaigrette

House Made Fettuccini $12

Fava Beans Roasted Corn Baby Arugula Grape Tomatoes

 House Burger $12

Cippoline Onions, Apple wood Bacon and Gruyere on Brioche

Steak Sandwich $12

House BBQ Sauce, Crispy Onions, Aged Cheddar on Garlic Bread

 Torta $12

Pork Carnitas, Avocado, Chipotle Mayo, Roasted Tomato and Arugula on Ciabatta

Grilled Cheese & Soup $12

 Granny Smith Apples, Bacon, Dijon, Sharp Cheddar on Toasted Sourdough with Roasted Tomato Soup

Desserts

Cinnamon Sugar Dusted Doughnuts $9

Nutella Dipping Sauce

 Bread Pudding $9

Bourbon Crème Anglaise

Short Bread Lemon Tart $9

 Fresh Whipped Cream and Raspberries

Warm Almond Fudge Torte $9

Grand Mariner, House Made Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Tres Leches $9

Toasted Coconut, Caramel, Fresh Whipped Cream

The Dinner Menu

Starters

Oven Roasted Tomato Soup $8

Coriander Crème Fraiche

Wild Mushroom Crostini $10

 Telleggio Cheese, Caramelized Cippoline Onions, Truffle Oil

Boston lettuce Wedge $8

 Crispy Pancetta, Soft Poached Egg, Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing

 Tri Color $8

Roasted Peppers Shaved Grana Padana, Balsamic Vinaigrette

Shrimp & Sirloin $14

Plantain Fries, Serrano Garlic Aioli

Braised Pork Shoulder $10

 Avocado, Crispy Plantains, Pickled Red Onions, Coriander

Seared Sea Scallops $14

Smoked Cauliflower Fondue, Grilled Corn,

Sweet & Sour Golden Raisins

 BBQ Spareribs $10

 Miso Soy BBQ Sauce, Sesame Seeds, Charred Green Onions

Entrées

House Made Ricotta Gnocchi $24

Lobster, Shallots, Brandy Tomato Cream

House Made Fettuccini $18

Fava Beans, Grilled Corn, Arugula, Grape Tomatoes

Zucchini Roulade $16

Farmers Ricotta, Lemon, Plum Tomato Confit, Baby Arugula

Pan Roasted Chicken $24

 Truffle Mashed Potatoes, Shallots, Lemon Thyme Pan Gravy

Crispy Pork Belly $24

 Braised Cassava, Pazole, Red Onion Relish

Beef Short Rib $26

Truffle Mashed Potatoes, Ancho Chili Tomato Confit

Sautéed Chicken Breast $24

 Sun Choke White Bean Puree, Garlic Spinach

Crispy Black Sea Bass $28

Caramelized Fennel, Plum Tomato, Saffron Shrimp Broth

 Cioppino $28

Clams, Mussels, Cod, Shrimp & Scallops, Grilled Crostini with Roasted Garlic Aioli

12oz. N.Y. Strip $28

 Gruyere Caramelized Leek Potato Gratin, Garlic Spinach

Desserts

Cinnamon Sugar Dusted Doughnuts $9

 Nutella Dipping Sauce

 Bread Pudding $9

Bourbon Crème Anglaise

Lemon Tart $9

Fresh Whipped Cream, Raspberries

Warm Almond Fudge Torte $9

Grand Mariner, House Made Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Tres Leches $9

Toasted Coconut, Caramel, Fresh Whipped Cream

Bar Q B.B.Q.: OmNomCT Noms on the Menu, Bite by Bite – Stamford, CT

This post has been updated as of 8/12/12. After our second visit we found a lot of the opening kinks were worked out and the food was even tastier. Giving credit where credits due, we upped Bar Qs score to 3.5 noms!

When we broke the news about Bar Q B.B.Q. back in February, people couldn’t stop talking about what Bob LeRose had in store for Stamford.  What could be better?  Snack and tapas sized portions of BBQ mixed in with drinks that you wouldn’t be able to get enough of.  Well, we thought not much could be better, so we decided it would be a great way to kick off our Memorial Day weekend. And, we knew it was such a great concept, we had to go back went back during the summer to update our review.

Starting off, we love the menu.  It’s pretty simple:  one side has food, broken down into snacks, BBQ, and fixins. The other side has beer, cocktails, bourbon, and wine.  Let’s give you a taste of what we got a taste of…

Drinks

An impressive 26 brews on tap, with a good bunch of those being local.  Drafts are divided up into 5 categories, too: Pilsner, Imperial Pint, Weizen, Beer Shifter, and Seasonal.

Dan decided to go with a super refreshing Huckleberry Lemonade.  It was made with Huckleberry 44 North Vodka and fresh lemonade.  They served it with a sugared rim and fresh blueberries inside.  From the second you drink, you get a nice berry taste, then the lemonade.  The liquor wasn’t overwhelming at all, so this is a nice choice if you want an alcoholic beverage that is still a nice cool glass ‘o summer. Kristien went with the Allagash White Weizen.

Sauces (ranked mild to spicy)

Bourbon X:  good, you get the bourbon and some mesquite.

Vinegar XX:   tart at first, but then finishes with a very subtle heat.

Bold XXX:  just a bit spicy, smoky.

Snacks

Spicy honey chicken and waffles: this was our favorite of the night.  A thickly breaded bit of fried chicken sits atop a tiny waffle.  Add a spicy honey drizzle all over the fried chicken and you’ve got a bite of deliciousness you could just keep poppin’!  The kick from the honey actually does hit you a bit…it’s a nice touch.

Baked jalapeño brush poppers:  just like at Bobby Q’s, these are pretty tasty with creamy cheese and bitsof sweet corn stuffed inside.  Definitely on the spicy side, so be prepared.

Southern Egg Rolls: Sound bizarre? Oh, they are. Pulled pork, pulled chicken, collard greens fried up egg-roll style topped with a mustard BBQ sauce. Yeah, totally bizarre, but totally awesome. Our waitress said these are customers #1 favorite and we can see why. Very unique, very flavorful.

BBQ

Sausage:  there was a nice crisp to the skin and it was flavorful as one would expect of sausage.  But, the meat, itself didn’t have that snap you come to expect from bbq.

Brisket:  this was nice and tender and full of flavor. Cooked very nicely. We liked the BBQ jus that it was on top too.  That brought an added flavor and warmth to the dish.

Candied pork belly:  there was a nice smokiness and a mesquite taste.  The flavors jived well with the fattiness of the pork belly.

St. Louis Cut Sticky Ribs: Our favorite of the meats. A nice, slightly sweet BBQ sauce glazed these soft, tender, flavorful ribs. Quite tasty!

Fixins

Fried green tomatoes:  thick breading coated the tomatoes.  We felt this dish was a little bland on our first visit, however Bobby informed us that they improved the recipe and has been getting some excellent feedback. We’ll have to try them next time.

Mac  & cheese:  ahhh a nice crispy cheesy layer atop a warm, creamy bowl of cheesey macaroni yumminess. The new and improved mac & cheese is DELISH! We couldn’t get enough.

Fiesta Cornbread:  some cheese, corn, and jalapeno all mixed up into thick cornbreadyness.  We would have loved more kick from the peppers, but all in all it had a lot of flavor and was just the right amount of moisture for cornbread.

Hush puppies:  yummy bites with bits of corn inside.  The hush inside was just right…not dry, not soggy.  It had a nice give and take and was moistilicious. Delish!

Sweet Potato Crumble:  We were very excited for this dish on our first visit, because who doesn’t love mashed sweet potatoes with a nice buttery crumble on top?  Unfortunately, the spices were too overwhelming, namely the nutmeg.  However, this, too Bobby says has been addressed. We wanted to order this again on our second trip but had no room. Next time for sure!

Overall thoughts

After being open for a couple of months now,  Bar Q has made a good amount of improvements in the food and the service. Although the service was friendly on our first visit, it was quite slow. On our second visit the service was the way it should be–both friendly and attentive.  And, as you can see, the food was quite good to match.

We’re thrilled to see this improvement because the concept of taking all that we love about BBQ and serving it up in small plates is absolutely brilliant. We definitely recommend Bar Q as a nice place to meet up with friends, graze on some tasty BBQ and small plates, chill at the bar, or just hang out.

Bar Q

Noms:  3.5

Cost: $$$

Address:  15 Clark Street

Stamford, CT 06901

Phone: (203) 316-0278

Nomming our way through the menu @ Casa Villa – Stamford, CT

To say that we’re fans of Casa Villa in Stamford would be an understatement–whether we’re nomming at their East Main Street location, to getting delivery from their West Main Street location, we just can’t get enough. We’ve even given it a rave review before, as has our Twitter friend (our twiend if you will), Nina Wales (here’s her post on Casa Villa), so we had to come back and review more of the menu. Yeah, we really sacrifice for you guys.

It also helped that Casa Villa beckoned us on Twitter inviting us to try out their new ceviche. Never one to say no to an invitation to nom, we dropped on by after working up a huge appetite snowboarding at Catamount.  We were greeted by owner, Alvino Villa.  He grew up in Puebla, Mexico and moved here 28 years ago.  His passion for authentic, real deal Mexican shows through in his conversation and the staff at Casa Villa, who know the menu in and out.  Knowing we were big fans, he treated us to a sampling of smaller portions of his food to get a “Taste of Mexico.”  Oh, that’s their slogan. ;)

Ceviche

When we went to Casa Villa last, we had their Honduran style ceviche that I liked but Kristien wasn’t a major fan of the ketchup-y style.  The ceviche that Alvino served us was made with fresh tilapia, finely ground celery, habanero, and bright, bright lime.  This was a unique ceviche that had a major kick that can actually be tailored to your spice threshold level if you can handle the heat, ya wussy. I keed, I keed.

Carnitas Gordita

Imagine a “fat” corn tortilla, similar to the consistency of an arepa, on your plate with tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and carnitas on top.  The pork has been cooked nicely and is so tender.  But, it didn’t stop there.  They sprinkled on some tomatillo sauce, some fresh cotija cheese, then drizzled on some Creama Mexicana.  With the cheese in both forms, you get a nice contrast to the heaviness and porkiness (that’s fun to say) of the carnitas. A yummy dish overall.

Pollo en Crema de Chipotle

We’ve seen this bad boy on the menu before, but the lure of tacos, mole, or poblanos always seemed to draw us away until a later date of consumption.  Well, we had a smaller version and DAMN was it good.  Like, we will dream of this for nights on end good. First, we were struck by how similar the dish looked to something you might find at a nice Indian restaurant, only with Mexican spices instead.  Beautifully cooked chicken, mushrooms, and onions were swimming in a smoky, slightly spicy, and creamy chipotle sauce.  The mushrooms gave the dish a nice earthiness to round out the flavors.  We’d order this one again…and again…and, well, again. A new favorite for sure.

Bistec a la Mexicana

And onto another yummy dish, recommended by Alvino himself.  Thin strips of steak, cooked with onions, fresh tomatoes, and jalapeños.  There was a nice tanginess going on in the dish from the tomatoes, that jived well with the beef and onions.  Definitely use the tortillas that come with the dish to wrap up a bit of heaven and add in the rice and beans that come alongside, too.

Daring Tacos

After staying at The Inn at Sweet Water Farms in  MA and eating some rabbit, we were feeling brave.  Plus, we felt like Casa Villa could do no wrong so we ordered a beef tongue taco and a chicharones taco.  The beef tongue had a strong beefy taste and was cooked perfectly.  The spices in the taco, too, were just right and were highlighted even more with a squeeze of lime.  I know it sounds scary to try, but you would never know you’re eating tongue and it’s so good it’s totally worth it. The chicharones taco was actually one of the better chicarones that we’d had (along with one we had in Costa Rica), but we decided that we just aren’t fans of chicarones in general.  Imagine bacon cooked extra EXTRA crispy, extra brown and that’s basically chicharones–a little too crunchy for us.

Flan and Tres Leches Cake

The flan had our hearts when we smelt it in front of us.  A deep, intoxicating caramel wafted through the air and gave us the strength to get through the final stages of the meal.  It was light, warm, and was some of the best flan that we’ve had.  And, then we have the tres leches.  Just, wow.  Moist.  Rich.  Creamy.  Wow.

We Out!

Casa Villa still has it!  What’s even more awesomererest is that they do so many dishes well, from appetizers, to meals, to dessert.  And of course they serve beer, wine and margaritas baby! Yeah, and they deliver, too-but only from their West Main Street location.

Noms:  4

Cost:  $$$ (Pay Day Treat)

Casa Villa

Address: 866 East Main Street

Stamford, CT 06902

Phone (Dine-in): (203) 348-0622

Phone (For take-out and delivery): (203) 323-1721

Site:  http://www.casavillarestaurant.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/casavillarestaurant

Omnomivore’s Guide to Stamford Summer Restaurant Weeks 2011 – Stamford, CT

Yup, yup, we got the deets for you.  It was surprisingly hard to find the info about Stamford Summer Restaurant Week 2011, but we dug and dug just for you.  It seems that restaurant week has more exceptions now (like no Fridays or Saturdays), which is kind of frustrating.  We hope it doesn’t become a trend, because we all love restaurant week!  What better chance to try a whole bunch of spots, eat cheap, and go home happy? :)  Here’s a link to the official site with menu lists.

What do you think of the new rules and exceptions?  Also, what spots are you planning on hitting?  If you want help or suggestions, let us know!  Either way, here are the vitals with OmNom next to places we’ve reviewed:

Monday, August 22 – Monday, September 5

Prix-fixe lunch and dinner at the following spots:

$10.11 Lunch & $15.11 Dinner

Black Bear Saloon           203-324-4448

OmNom * Grand Burger (Dinner Only)  ***Try the Elvis Burger!***          203-323-3232

Kujaku Japanese Restaurant           203-357-0281

OmNom  Lola’s Mexican Kitchen (Excludes Fridays & Saturdays)            203-674-5652

Lucky’s Classic Burger & Malt Shop            203-978-0268

OmNom    SBC Downtown Restaurant & Brewery            203-327-2337

* Tiernan’s Bar & Restaurant           203-353-8566

OmNom    Volta Gelateria Creperia           203-883-8841

$12.11 Lunch & $20.11 Dinner

BUtterfield 8 Restaurant & Lounge           203-504-8123

OmNom    Capriccio Café (Lunch Only)            203-356-9819

Kotobuki Japanese Restaurant           203-359-4747

Quattro Pazzi (Excludes Fridays & Saturdays)            203-324-7000

OmNom    Remo’s Brick Oven Pizza Company            203-973-0077

Tengda Asian Bistro            203-353-8005

$20.11 Lunch & $30.11 Dinner

  * Aria Restaurant          203-324-2742

* Barcelona Restaurant & Wine Bar           203-348-4800

 OmNom    Bar Rosso (Excludes Fridays & Saturdays)            203-388-8640

* The Capital Grille            203-967-0000

 Chez Jean Pierre (Excludes Sundays)            203-357-9526

Columbus Park Trattoria           203-967-9191

* Emme of Capri           203-353-0626

 OmNom    EOS Greek Cuisine (Excludes Fridays & Saturdays)            203-569-6250

 Mitchell’s Fish Market            203-323-3474

 * Morton’s Steakhouse (Dinner Only)            203-324-3939

 napa & co. (Lunch Only)            203-353-3319

OmNom     Tappo Restaurant (Excludes Fridays & Saturdays)            203-588-9870

OmNom     * ZAZA Italian Gastrobar (Excludes Fridays & Saturdays)            203-348-2300

 This year in partnership with Stamford Hospital, Stamford Tables will host KIDS’ FANS 5-2-1-0, a program designed to promote nutrition and fitness in Stamford. All children under 12 will be offered a healthy lunch for $6.95 and dinner for $9.95 at most of the above listed restaurants. An * next to the restaurants above means they aren’t participating in this new promotion.

Also, the first 3,000 Summer Restaurant Weeks patrons will receive a voucher for a free small popcorn with the purchase of a general admission ticket to the Avon Theatre, 272 Bedford Street, valid thru 9/30/11. Yeah popcorn.  Except, with a small, we’d have that done before the first preview! ;)

EOS, in the Top 100 Greek spot list, celebrates 3rd birthday in style! EOS Greek Cuisine – Stamford, CT

Have your baklava and eat it too!

EOS Greek Cuisine in downtown Stamford is celebrating three years of kick ass Greek food that just, plainly and simply, freaking rocks.  How hardcore is EOS?  Well, they’ve been included in the Top 100 Greek Restaurants in the U.S. by The National Herald.  Notice they are the only Connecticut Greek spot on this list?  So, if you’ve never had a chance to go there, or if you’re a seasoned (hahahaha) vet, we’ve got a great time for you to visit.

Tuesday, 7/19/11

From 5-10 p.m.

$45 per person

You know the deal:  pick an option from each course, and commence Omnoming.  Here’s a breakdown of what we’d pick:

Course 1:  Batzaria.  We know Kristien is chemically dependent on goat cheese and with the beets and the sauce…damn right she’s getting that.

Course 2: Avgolemono.  When restaurants say, “Our famous blah blah,” we don’t usually listen.  But, if EOS says that, we listen.  We’re excited to try this course because their use of lemon is superb here.  If you’ve tried their lemon potatoes, you know this is true.  We loved those potatoes so much that we tried to duplicate them at home.  Yes, they turned out well, but they were missing that real kick that only EOS has.  

Course 3: Arni Kebab.  If you've been to a few Greek spots, you know they probably have lamb on the menu.  We actually think it's part of the Greek law:  thou must serve lamb.  So, if God has ordained it, who are we to argue?  Look at this kebab:  char-grilled lamb with peppers, onions, and tomates served with-wait for it-lemon zest mashed potatoes.  Holy Moses!  Please refer to how great their use of lemon is with Course 2, then come back here, then read again, then come back here.

Course 4: Baklava Sundae.  You are officially Greek if you enjoy kickin' back and noshing on some baklava.  But, really, what better way to enjoy it then by using it to create an ice cream sundae with?  The baklava isn't too chewy or too stick-to-your-teeth-for-the-next-ten-daysish.  Great dessert for baklava lovers or for a person who is experimenting and is a virgin to Greek desserts. ;)

EOS

490 Summer Street

Stamford, CT

Phone: (203) 569-6250

Site: http://eosgreekcuisine.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eos.greek.cuisine

The Missing Link in Downtown Stamford: Gelato, Crepes, and Awesomeness. Volta Gelateria Creperia- Stamford, CT

Coppe of banana, cioccolato, and caffe

The Missing Link

Downtown Stamford has bars, Italian spots, Chinese spots, burger spots, and McDonald’s, but I don’t think Stamfordites realized what was missing until Volta showed up.  Downtown Stamford has always needed a nice, chill, hip spot for people to sit, relax, and surf on the net while eating.  Downtown Stamford has needed a change for a while, and Volta will bring it with its crepes, salads, drinks, gelato and great service.  Here’s the skinny (well, maybe slightly plump) on Volta and all they have to offer.

A Tour of Volta

Doesn't that just call out, "summer"?

To start, it’s amazing to see how packed Volta was before it was even technically opened.  We stopped by on two of their soft opening days and the dining room was packed as was the outdoor seating. It seemed though, that the energetic and knowledgable staff moved things along nicely.  Giovanni, one of the owners of Capriccio Café, took us on a tour of his baby.  First stop:  Laboratorio del Gelato.  Seriously, that’s the name of the room.  Packages of fresh fruit are waiting there to be transformed into gelato and sorbet.  All the equipment was imported from Italy and you can see the pride on Giovanni’s face as he talks about how their gelato is made.  Fresh ingredients, made right, made the Italian way, made right at Volta!

Only a small section of their gelato choices

He showed us his gelato, 20 flavors in all, served the old-fashioned Italian way:  rather than scoop it up, they take two spatulas and form the scoops.  Volta is all about doing things right and staying true to Italian roots.  We felt like we were back in Italy for a few hours, roaming the streets of Rome-no pun intended, but certainly hilarious of course.

Gelato Paradise

First of all, just like Italy’s gelato shops, here you pay first, then you select your gelato.  Don’t be the dummy to mess things up, listen to our advice.  Give ‘em your order, paesanos:  piccola ($4); media ($5.50); grande ($7); or a Coppe Speciali.  Step over to the gelato counter and drop your jaw in awe of the beauty of what is set before you.  They also have Coppe Speciali (special cups) that look sinfully good such as Coppa Romana:  gelato al fior di latte, hot chocolate, whipped creamed, and biscotto.  Well, we’ve been naughty and have come here two nights in a row so we’ve had 6 of their flavors.  Let’s give you a sampling of what they have:

Some of the amazing Coppe Speciali

What We Tried

Raspberry sorbet and gianduia in background at Volta

Cioccolato:  Holy chocolate batman, dark, strong, and so damn good

Gianduia:  A light chocolate flavor with great hints of hazelnut

Coconut:  Fresh coconut taste with flakes mixed in, delicious.

Banana:  Tasted like smashed up bananas in creamy goodness. Wow.

Caffe:  Good and medium flavored coffee taste, would get again

Raspberry sorbert:  Bright, summery flavors, seeds mixed in for a fresh taste.

What We STILL Hafta Try!

Stracciatella, Hazelnut, Bacio, Vanilla, Strawberry, Pistachio, Chocolate Mint, Biscotto, Nutella, Cream Caramel, Nocciola

Sorbets:  lemon, orange,

Holy Creperia!

Serving up classic Illy espresso!

Yes, Volta’s not just about gelato, they have sweet and savory crepes, salads, desserts, waffles, fresh squeezed juice, drinks, and that cool Italian cafe experience.  There’s free wi-fi and it’s just oh so chill.   We haven’t had a chance to try their food yet, but we’ll be sure to write up a post for our Omnomivores so you get the downlow on this new Stamford hotspot.  As for the Noms, if we based it solely on gelato, we’d give it a 4.5, but until we try their other goodies, we’ll have to hold off.  Ciao, buona notte.

Noms:  4

Cost:  $$

Volta Gelateria Creperia

Address: 30 Spring Street

Stamford, CT 06901

Phone: 203-883-8841

Website: http://volta.us/