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 Intro
Sfoglia's
stands out as a very different restaurant on the
scene. Located in a non- descript building,
one might easily drive right by without noticing
it. The popularity of this country style Italian
restaurant, with its creative assortment of, appetizers,
pasta, three entrees, and vegetables is fast growing.
Once through the beaded entrance, the interior
of this small restaurant is very appealing and
unlike any found on the island. On season the
wait for tables has been a problem as reservations
are not yet accepted, however, this may change
(see "Other Observations"). The food
is extremely interesting and the price compares
with other top restaurants. Be cautioned to bring
cash as credit cards are not accepted.
Ambiance  |
The
ordinary appearance of this restaurant is forgotten,
once you step inside through the beaded divider
at the entrance. The dining area is small with wooden
tables for two and four and a long wooden shelf
decorated with books, lamps, and assorted pieces
of art edging the entire room above the tables,
creating a casual warmth. In the center of each
section of the L- shaped dining room are several
long, country style, tables divided by huge wooden
bowls of potatoes and other vegetables so small
groups of two or three can sit at the same table,
or large groups, up to twelve can be accomodated.
This adds to the atmosphere as you can either devote
yourself to your own campanions or become acquainted
with other diners. The couple adjacent to us were
on the wife's first visit to . Staying
at the White Elephant, where they had dined the
previous night, they had heard about the excellent
food served by the Italian husband and wife restauranteers.
On questioning the waitress, they were amused to
discover the owners, Ron and Colleen Suhanosky,
were American! The overhead recessed lights and
small table candles created a cozy but dim luminance
which made reading the unusual menu challenging.
The waitress carefully translated and described
each item, encouraging us to mix and match all four
sections of the menu. Small, warm, interesting,
and creative sum up the over-all flavor of Sfoglia's.
| Food |
As
soon as you sit down, the waitress brings a small
bowl of delicious olives dipped in salt that are
irresistible. Next she arrives asking what wine
you would like, and returns to pour your choice
into a straight table glass; there is none of the
customary changing of various wine glasses, so typical
of other establishments, setting the trattoria
tone. After studying the choices of appetizers,
we settled on an Italian wedding soup, which creatively
combined broth and eggs and was spicy and delicious.
A combination of beets and leeks, served with a
warm cheese was our other selection. It was good.
We tried two half plates of pasta, one with figs,
walnuts, and a tastefully light tomato sauce. The
other was a classic tomato and herb sauce, light
and flavorful. Both were excellent. The entrees
included a leg of chicken with a lightly spiced
crust and a Mediterranean fish. The first was good,
but the fish was extra special. The waitress brought
the entire fish to the table and we watched as she
filleted it before our eyes, a very challenging
feat. The white fish was delicious, almost sweet,
the only caution was a few tiny bones that had eluded
the waitress. A spicy eggplant side dish was a fine
accompaniment to the fish. The dessert arrived freshly
baked from the oven, a rhubarb tart served with
ice cream, absolutely the perfect ending to a very
interesting meal!
Other Observations:
The
wait staff was young and accommodating. Unfortunately
for the couple next to us, the waitress had inadvertently
forgotten to order the swordfish entree. The good
natured guest allowed that he had already had
plenty to eat and was both surprised and pleased
to receive complimentary wine at the end of the
meal, a thoughtful recognition of the error.
We had tried on two other occasions to dine at
this restaurant which does not accept reservations.
We were told there was nothing available for the
rest of the evening, even though no one was seen
waiting. Apparently you can leave your name and
return for seating later which seemed to us a
form of unannounced reservations. The waitress
acknowledged problems with this system and told
us that reservations will be accepted sometime
after the re-opening in December, so call ahead
to check this out. Sfoglia/Trattoria will be closed
in November, for a planned trip to Italy, with
even more creative cuisine promised.
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