All in the family
By Todd Lyon
From the New Haven Register
 | Elaine Agosti, the head chef at Twisted Vine in Derby, holds her Wasabi Seared Tuna.
Chris Volpe/Register galleries |
I first heard of Twisted Vine when one of my favorite spies — an underground operative I know only as Hayward Hill Gatling Jr. — happened to be driving through downtown Derby. He spotted the place and snagged a menu for me, not knowing that the restaurant was new to the Valley, open for only a month or so.
The menu was curious, with a mix of traditional Italian dishes (sauteed escarole with mixed peppers; gnocchi and meatballs; eggplant Parmesan) and West Coast-style offerings (Coconut-Crusted Tilapia; Chicken Quesadillas; Seared Tuna with Wasabi Aioli). The prices were wacky, too: A wide assortment of entrees in the $12 to $15 range induced a sort of reverse sticker shock in me, which was again reversed by a few dishes priced from $23 to $26.
Intrigued to the point of impatience, I kidnapped my mother one snowy night and careened down a slippery Route 34 to Twisted Vine’s door. Inside, we discovered a vast, old-fashioned dining room in a former bank lobby, complete with balconies along the upper perimeters, a vault filled with wine bottles and antique light fixtures that had, at some time in the last century, been converted from gas to electricity.
We felt cozy and welcome, sheltered from the storm.
Our appetizers were delicious. Buttery Escargot with Herbed Toast ($8) and a special of Hand-Cut Artichoke Hearts, lightly fried in a whispery batter and served with a spinach/cheese dipping sauce (a bargain at $7), made us grin from ear to ear. We kept it simple when ordering entrees: Mom had Eggplant Parmesan with Pasta ($15), while I chose Cheese Tortellini with Peas and Italian Sausage in Alfredo Sauce ($13, can you believe?). Portions were generous. Flavors were full-bodied. Satisfaction was ours. As an added attraction, we got to know and admire our server, Leonora, a fascinating woman from Albania.
My second visit was more complicated. That’s when I learned that Twisted Vine’s roots run deep; in fact, the restaurant is the newest creation of the Tartaglia family, who started a culinary legacy more than 20 years ago.
Frank Albani told me the back story. He’s the father of Karen Tartaglia, who, along with then-husband Joe, launched the original Tartaglia’s in Bridgeport back in 1983. "It was a pizza place with 32 seats," recalls Frank. "There were a few other items on the menu, and one day I ordered spaghetti and meatballs. I tasted it and said, ‘Rose! You’ve got to make the meatballs!’ Then came her sauce, stuffed clams, soups and then the place expanded." He was speaking of his wife, of course, to whom he’s been blissfully married for 47 years.
Frank — a charmer of the first degree — has been working at Tartaglia’s as a host and general trouble-shooter since Day One.
But don’t let me get ahead of the story. In 1993, Karen and Joe Tartaglia opened their second location, a white-tablecloth restaurant on Main Street in Derby that was originally the Birmingham Bank. The new Tartaglia’s was a sensation, and became a destination for seekers of authentic Italian cookery in a unique setting.
In the meantime, Elaine Agosti was quietly becoming a chef. At 16 years old, she’d taken a waitress job at Tartaglia’s in Bridgeport, and kept working there after she’d entered Sacred Heart University on a basketball scholarship. "One night," recalls Elaine, "the kitchen was short-handed. I went in to help and never came out. Cooking just felt right to me." Her primary teachers, she says, were Joe Tartaglia and Rose Albani, who helped her master the art of "old-school Italian." Eventually, she was hired by a major food-service company and sent to Napa Valley to learn the secrets of California cuisine.
She came back with a whole lot of repertoire packed in her bags.
When Karen and Joe Tartaglia split up in 1995, Karen got the Derby restaurant, and Joe got the original Tartaglia’s in Bridgeport.
Everybody remained friends, according to Father Frank. Thus, when Karen decided to bail out of the restaurant show, Joe and two partners — Mike Picone and Glenn Giannini — bought Tartaglia’s in Derby and reinvented it as Twisted Vine. Elaine Agosti was made executive chef, much to Frank’s delight: "When people say, ‘Tell the chef he’s doing a great job,’ I get to say, ‘The chef’s a woman!’"
OK. Now that I’ve untwisted the plot for you, be assured that the former Targalia’s is a homey place with good food at sensible prices. On a casual weekday you can wear jeans, grab a table and gobble up a $12 dinner; on weekends, you can dress nice and order pricey wines and fancy entrees. After dinner, feel free to mosey downstairs, where there’s live music in an old-school lounge that’s festooned with photos of Frank Sinatra.
Whatever your style, I know you’ll be comfortable and well-fed, glad to be rocked in the cradle of the Valley.
Todd Lyon of New Haven is a freelance writer.
THE ESSENTIALS
•Place: Twisted Vine, 285 Main St., Derby.
•Phone: (203) 734-2462.
•Web site: www.twistedvinerestaurant.com.
•Hours: Lunch, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. Dinner, 5-9 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays; 5-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 3-8 p.m. Sundays (call to confirm).
•Reservations: Appreciated, not required; recommended for large parties.
•Food: A mix of old-world Italian and California-style cookery causes a glad confusion in a grand-yet-cozy space that once was a bank.
A parade of appetizers — nearly 20 in all — range in price from $6 for Shrimp with Peanut Sauce to $8 for a very fine dish of garlicky, buttery escargot. There are eight salads on the menu, priced from $5-$9. An eclectic list of entrees are $12-$26; recommended is the Shrimp in Creamy Garlic Sauce over wild rice pilaf ($17); Fresh Homemade Gnocchi and Meatballs ($12); Tortellini with Peas and Italian Sausage ($13); and Pepper Crusted Filet Mignon ($23). At lunch, there are apps, salads, entrees, thin-crusted pizzas and panini; prices start at $4 for a soup of the day and top out at $12 for Shrimp Scampi, with most offerings in the $7-$9 range.
•Note: Virtually any traditional Italian dish will be happily prepared by the chef, whether it’s on the menu or not.
•Drink: Besides a full bar, Twisted Vine has a wine list with bottles from Italy and California, kindly priced from $13-$56. An uneven selection of wines by the glass are $4-$6; ask your server for additional selections.
•Wheelchair access: Through the side door (main entrance) off the parking lot.
•Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, Amex, Discover.
•Kid-friendliness: Junior dinners are $6, with selections such as Mac & Cheese, Chicken Fingers and Burger and Fries, each served with vanilla ice cream for dessert.
•Parking: In a lot to the side of the restaurant, and on the street.
•Private functions: Off-site catering is available; you can also plan a private party on the balcony that rings the dining room, which seats 25-30 people. If you’ve got a party of 100 or so, feel free to rent the whole dining room.
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