DAN'S PAPERS, September 10, 2010 Page 49 www.danshamptons.com
Restaurant Review: Il Capuccino, Sag Harbor By Susan Galardi Il Capuccino, just slightly off the beaten path on Madison Street, has been a fixture in Sag Harbor for decades. While it describes itself as specializing in Northern Italian cuisine, it does indulge in variations on that theme. Il Capuccino reminds me of the cozy Italian restaurants sprinkled around the West Village. The dÊcor includes the classic red-checkered table cloths, and chianti bottles hanging from the ceiling. There was very nice jazz playing just loudly enough the Saturday we went, and the main dining room was bright as can be from the huge picture window. There’s also seating outside. While dinners at Il Capuccino are not served family style, servings are certainly large enough to share. Prices are already reasonable by Hampton standards, so the place is a great value. It all starts with the restaurant’s legendary garlic rolls: Freshly made, doused in garlic and oil, with a large smattering of chopped parsley. The trick is to not eat too many. Salads ranged from $5.25 for a simple green version, to $11.95 for a cold antipasto. Appetizers (ranging from $7.95 to 9.95) include a substantial seafood selection, from steamed little necks in white wine & garlic or marinara sauce to baked clams, steamed mussels, and calamari. The Fried Calamari was tender and mild – not the ultra crunchy, thicker breaded variety, but a light batter. I enjoyed its simplicity as well as the nice texture of the calamari itself. Rather than marinara sauce, it was served with traditional cocktail sauce. Steamed littlenecks in white wine (you could also order it with marinara sauce) were delicious, the
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broth redolent with garlic, good enough to eat with a spoon. We were treated to a chef’s special – Bourbon shrimp. Now this was a definite departure from Northern Italian. A half dozen or more meaty shrimp came in martini glass, covered by a creamy sauce. It was served with sliced grilled portabello mushrooms that had a pleasantly vinegary, tang. A rich and delicious dish. There are two versions pastas, traditional penne/linguine/fettuccini dishes from $16.95-18.95 (with half orders available) and pasta specialties like tortelloni with pistachio sauce, which we tried. Tender homemade pasta stuffed with ricotta infused with nutmeg, served in another creamy, rich and delicious sauce, this one with roasted pistachios. I’d say opt for ONE dish with one of these creamy sauce, and go light on the others and you’ll have a nicely balanced meal. Linguini with white clam sauce ($18.95) had the table divided. Two diners loved it, I was a bit more reserved. While it had plenty of clams in a great sauce, I found the pasta too well done for my liking. But one diner at the table loved it, exclaiming, “And it’s not a dish I usually like.� Entrees (mostly $20-22) include a wide variety of fish, chicken, veal and eggplant. These are the classics: Veal parmigiana and marsala; a frutti di mare, salmon, flounder in lemon sauce and other fish offerings; and chicken offerings with mushroom, basil sauce, grilled or with eggplant. And there are specials of the day, more in the litany of Italian clas-
sics like veal saltimbocca, osso buco and stuffed founder with crabmeat. Our hands down winner of the entrees was the seared tuna with pink peppercorn sauce (they also do it with salmon). The tuna was good quality and cooked to our specifications, the sauce was delicious, creamy and dotted with the fragrant pink peppercorns. Again, we overdid it with the cream sauce offerings. Get one for the table (this would be a great choice), then go with lighter entrees. It was served with rice that had been mixed with the restaurant’s red sauce. I found the rice overcooked for my liking. The red sauce had three big fans at the table. This staple of Italian cooking is as personal as it gets. Il Capuccino’s was flavorful, thick, and seemed to contain a lot of vegetables. I detected carrot and celery, and a goodly amount of oregano. For dessert we had spumoni – about eight ice creams in one and very delicious. The Lemon Tart got many stars from our table, with its crunchy crust and tart, fresh lemon flavor. The tiramisu is very tasty too, with no skimping on the mascarpone nor the liquor (I believe it was Grand Marnier.) Surprisingly, the wine list goes way beyond the boot, with local vineyards, and California wines represented, at $7.50-8.50 a glass. The house Chianti was very nice, as were the other wines by the glass. Il Capuccino Ristorante, 30 Madision St. Sag Harbor; 631-725-2747; ilcapuccino.com. Dinner, 7 days/week, from 5:30.
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