I actually set out to visit another establishment on Sunday of Connecticut Restaurant Week, figuring that recently opened Bricco Trattoria in Glastonbury would be awfully busy.
But the other restaurant I visited (which shall remain nameless) dropped the ball. Our waitress didn’t even bring out a restaurant week menu, and when we asked her about the promotion, she said it was no longer being offered. Speaking with a manager, we learned that the restaurant had run out of one of its two entrées the night before, and rather than replacing it with something else, had just discontinued the promotion.
When we approached Bricco’s hostess station, we were warmly received by manager Marwan Idris (left) and his staff.
Although the restaurant appeared full,
it’s a big place and there turned out to be no wait for a table.
Our waiter, Eric,
brought us housemade focaccia
and olives.
After Eric took our order, I toured the restaurant with my trusty rusty Canon. Everywhere I looked, I saw customers receiving excellent care from Bricco’s well-trained staff.
This young lady behind the bar was so good she could do her job with her eyes shut.
I noticed that quite a few customers were ordering from Bricco’s regular menu, and it was certainly intriguing, but so were its Restaurant Week offerings. Soon, food was on its way to our table.
Our first appetizer was a crock of hearty Tuscan ribollita (a bread-thickened vegetable soup),
while our second was grilled ciabatta spread with fresh ricotta, olive oil and sea salt.
Bricco Trattoria wears its farm-to-table heart on its sleeve,
and it shows in the freshness and quality of the ingredients it utilizes.
There were three entrées featured on Bricco’s Restaurant Week menu. We didn’t wind up trying the meatballs and sausage in sugo (literally “juice,” it means “sauce” and is also the title of owner Billy Grant’s newsletter). Our first entrée was fried Chatham cod with roasted red potato and arugula, and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve had fried fish that good.
Our second entrée featured tender housemade cavatelli in a flavorful lamb ragù.
The desserts were killer. Our first was a cannoli pie with an Oreo cookie crust and pistachio anglaise.
Our second was a chocolate hazelnut pudding with vanilla anglaise and hazelnut crunch.
We also got to try a simple, lovely bowl of olive oil ice cream.
Although Bricco Trattoria is still suffused with the excitement of its recent opening and has plenty of customers, owner Billy Grant obviously saw the wisdom of participating in Connecticut Restaurant Week and at electing the more affordable price point ($20.10 as opposed to $37.50). Bully for Billy!
Bricco Trattoria, 124 Hebron Avenue, Glastonbury, 860-659-0220
www.billygrant.com