Another Italian Restaurant?

By Frank Whitman

Daniele Lombardi and Lombardi’s hostess

Do we need another high-end, high-concept, high-style Italian restaurant?  After all, we’re blessed with a raft of excellent eating options from all over the boot, restaurants like Via Sforza in Westport, Baldanza and Aranci in Wilton and, well, you know.  Everyone has a favorite Italian place for a special meal. If there’s going to be a new one, it better be good. 

Fortunately, Lombardi’s in New Canaan measures up. Located on posh Elm Street, the narrow two-story space is the creative child of the Lombardi brothers from the island of Ischia: Chef Andrea and Manager Daniele.  

Andrea cut his New Canaan teeth as owner of the Dolce Italian Café one block up Elm Street. The always-busy euro-style breakfast and lunch spot has been a hit since 2019.  Now he and his brother are embarked on a new venture. 

Just open since June, Lombardi’s quickly found its footing.  Downstairs is a long, narrow, stylish space with banquette seating along the right facing the bar on the left, a few seats in the window and some booths in the back. The white topped bar faces a colorful wall of backlit bottles. 

Along the way to the second floor stairs, you might see chef Andrea expediting at the open kitchen. Upstairs the mood is more serene with marbleized walls in Mediterranean tones, tables not booths, white linen, good glassware, heavy flatware and a single rose lit by a cordless lamp. Noisy, but not overwhelmingly so. Windows on both levels face Elm Street, New Canaan’s fashionable retail address. 

Our waiter, with his Ischian accent, walked us through the menu. Dishes from the volcanic, seafood-blessed island off the coast of Naples are scattered among the expansive choices of creative Italian cooking.

The four of us ordered from across the breadth of the offerings. 

A colorful necklace of finely-diced yellowfin, Tartara di Tonno ($23) surrounded a pool of olive oil and was dressed with a carrot-tumeric cream and caper blossoms. 

In Melanzane al Fughetto ($19) eggplant was mixed with seasonal tomatoes and stratiella cheese in chef Andrea’s take on the classic dish from Campania.

Frittatina Napoletana ($19), an Ischian riff on the mainland specialty, mixes pasta with Rovagnati ham and smoked Scamorza cheese to combine their smoky flavors in a crisp breaded shell – like a fancy croquette. 

Lobster Ravioli ($35) in a creamy, robust lobster sauce bore the dark and light stripes of a gondolier’s shirt. Hand-rolled Cavatelli ($30) was dressed with a savory veal ragu.  Crisply fried batons of guanciale were an excellent foil to the rich cheese and egg blend that coated the Tonnearelli Carbonara ($29).  The pastas are made fresh at the restaurant.

Flavorful Whole Cornish Hen ($38), Mattone-style (cooked under a brick), leaned against a tower of silky mashed potatoes surrounded by a scatter of sautéed mushrooms.

Wines by the glass are carefully chosen and each has two or three descriptive words to distinguish one from another – a welcome aid when considering unfamiliar wines.  Biancolella from Ischia was a crisp and refreshing white, excellent with seafood. Gavi di Gavi was fresh and dry with a late hit of tropical fruit.  Chianti classico paired well with the rich pastas. 

Service is professional and capable, the plates are beautifully presented, and the space has stylish flair. 

Delicious lemon desserts were the order of the day.  A lovely Torta Della Nonna (grandma’s lemon pie $13) and Coppa Sorrento ($15) layers of sponge cake soaked in lemon juice under a layer of vanilla creme and lemon sauce. 

The answer to the question is, “Yes!”  If it’s like Lombardi’s, another player in the Italian restaurant game is more than welcome.