Cheers…
By Todd Lyon
From the New Haven Register
 | | Michele Rancito, left, Coleman Koch, Sally Zeppien, Ale Panno and Barbi Matuszewski, all of the Madison Bistro. Melanie Stengel/Register |
Years ago, in this very column, I wrote about a restaurant in Wallingford called The Half Moon Cafe. The article declared that, "Every town should have a place like this."
I never would have remembered the quote if it wasn’t for Andrea (an-DRAY-ya) Panno. He knew it by heart because his brother, Stefano, is chef/owner of the Half Moon. And because, last summer, Andrea set the concept in motion by opening his own warm and wonderful neighborhood restaurant: The Madison Bistro.
Nestled in a courtyard that slices through the center of town, The Madison Bistro is an unpretentious storefront with slate floors, local art on the walls, a wrap-around counter with displays of pastries and gelato, and a service area where a menu of salads, wraps, pasta dishes, entrees and daily specials can be packed up and taken away.
The real fun, however, is at the Bistro’s full-service tables. There aren’t many of them — the place is small, and seating is at a premium, especially at dinner time — but the close quarters set the stage for intraparty conversations and rampant table-hopping; and those are two reasons why The Madison Bistro has become a social hub of the community.
Other reasons for the Bistro’s popularity:
•Its BYOB policy, which is especially fluid and interesting because the Madison Wine Shop is just a hop across the courtyard.
•The smiling Chef Andrea, who will gladly drape his lanky, blue-jeaned body on a spare chair and entertain your party with tales of Sicily, scallops and his former life as a stock broker.
•A casual atmosphere where flip-flops and hoodies commingle with neckties and blazers.
•Delicious food. Huge, toothsome salads, fresh pasta and fish, house-made desserts, serious cappucino, and so much more.
"This is how we cook in Sicily," says Andrea, remembering his homeland. "Everything here is fresh, and real — there’s no gravy, no mayo, no ketchup, no fried food."
Indeed: A recent dinner there thrilled our group with a Mediterranean Salad of endive, radicchio, arugula and parmigiano; an assortment of masterful entrees including Fagottini — little pasta hobo bindles — stuffed with Gorgonzola and walnuts in an Alfredo sauce; Lobster Fetuccini; and a New York Strip with a wildly flavorful medley of mushrooms and veggies. We finished our feast with "1,000-layer" lemon squares that lifted us into giddiness.
All the while, Chef Andrea grinned in the background. His has been an epic journey from his early days in Palermo, to his 10 years as a Wall Street broker, to his adventures with brother Stefano, establishing and selling restaurants in Connecticut and Pennsylvania. It seems he’s found his happiness in Madison: "I used to come here in the summer," he says. "My best friend, Joe Conigliaro, suggested we open a place here, and he became my business partner."
Though open less than a year, the Madison Bistro’s impact has been palpable. "Neighbors say we made the courtyard alive again," says Andrea of the charming brick walkway outside his wide windows. "Summer here is beautiful — we have tables outside, people enjoy the sculptures and the weather, and Madison kids finally have a place to go — they used to hang out at the gas station," he laughs.
"For me, I love having a little restaurant, because everybody becomes friends with each other."
True: Morning, noon and night, the room hums with the sound of community, well-fed. Every town should have a place like the Madison Bistro.
Todd Lyon of New Haven is a freelance writer. Contact her at toddlyon@earthlink.net. |
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