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Local Eatery Serves Up Italian, Both Earthy and Refined

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By Sara Poirier Correa
Sentinel Reporter

Lugano-glassFor a taste of Italy closer to home, Lugano Wine Bar & Salumeria fits the bill. Open for nearly four months, the popular Old Greenwich eatery, named for a city in Switzerland’s Italian-speaking region, is the newest establishment for restaurateur Nicholas Racanelli and his business partners.

“We have everything,” said Rose Dionne, one of those partners, who also serves as manager at Lugano. “We have a very big menu; you can’t get bored.”

Under the helm of Executive Chef Jesus Leonardo, formerly of Quattro Pazzi, Lugano offers a full menu of meatballs, tapas, salads, pastas and other entrees, plus an extensive wine list. Favorite dishes, Dionne said, include the branzino picatta—a whole fish cooked and served with a lemon caper white wine sauce, potatoes and sautéed spinach—and the pork chop balsamico—a 14-ounce bone-in chop, pan seared and served with a balsamic glaze, cherry peppers, potatoes and seasonal mixed vegetables.

“Our menu is great to share with big groups,” Dionne said. “You can have a little taste of everything.”

If you’re looking for lighter fare, the meatball sampler—combining the beef, turkey and spicy beef selections—or the baby lamb chop tapas offering are both also popular, she said.

However, Dionne added that main concept of the restaurant is salumeria—Italian cured cold cuts. The menu includes many choices in this arena, such as prosciutto di parma, mortadella and roasted pork loin, among others.

“It’s a beautiful town with a great location and we wanted to give it a shot,” Dionne said of embarking on a new venture in Greenwich. The restaurant group’s other establishments include Pizzeria Molto Mozzarella & Wine Bar in Fairfield, and Zaza Italian Gastrobar and Dolce Waterfront Restaurant & Wine Bar, both in Stamford.

Dionne, who has been in the restaurant industry for 10 years and previously managed Chez Jean-Pierre in Stamford, said coming to Greenwich has been a great experience, and the customers are helping fuel the business’s success.

“[The customers] are more knowledgeable about what they’re eating and drinking in Greenwich,” she said of what makes being in town unique. Dionne said this pushes the 32 employees to be on top of their game.

Lugano is located in a space long occupied by restaurants, including Boxing Cat Grill, Greenwich Tavern and most recently, Bistro Latino. The space was under construction for six months prior to opening as Lugano, Dionne told the Greenwich Sentinel, to give the restaurant a total makeover. The newly opened space provides a community feel, the manager said, allowing for a large bar (seating for 19) and lounge area with a community table, a private room for celebrations, as well as a main dining area. In total, the space holds 140 people.

“We did look at a few spaces on Greenwich Avenue, but we wanted to be in Old Greenwich,” Dionne said. “It’s a little easier. It’s a great location on the Post Road.”

As to what keeps her coming back every day, Dionne said it’s the people.

“I love to talk to people,” she said. “It’s a great experience when people are happy and they come back.

“I love to socialize and make people happy.”

According to Ralph Conlon of Riverside, a frequent customer with his daughter Erin and wife Valerie, Dionne and her staff are doing something right.

“They have a good selection, between the salad, the entrees and the tapas,” he said. “It’s a laid back atmosphere. You can just sit at the bar and eat tapas at your own leisure.”

Valerie said the family usually eats at sister restaurant Zaza, so they were exciting when the same group opened just down the street from their home.

“The food is amazing,” Erin said.

Happy Hour at Lugano is Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., with specials on wine and tapas.

Brunch is served a la carte on Saturdays and Sundays from 11-3, and features bottomless bloody Mary’s, mimosas and bellinis for an additional charge. (The lobster eggs benedict is Dionne’s favorite brunch dish.)

On Sunday, bottles of wine are half off from 4 p.m. to close.

There is also valet parking.

With future expansion plans for the restaurant group unknown, Dionne said at this point, she and the staff are settling in in the town of Greenwich. While there was no outdoor seating this past summer, she said Lugano hopes to offer that next season.

For more about Lugano Wine Bar & Salumeria, visit the restaurant at 1392 East Putnam Avenue, go online to www.luganowinebar.com, e-mail eat@luganowinebar.com or
call 203-990-0955.

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