Il Romantico
By Todd Lyon
From the New Haven Register
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| Restaurant General Manager Cindy Robinson, left, stands beside owner Katie Scinto in the dining area of Il Palio. Mara Lavitt/Register photos. |
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A sculpture of galloping horses -- quite an extraordinary piece of work -- greets visitors to Il Palio. The building behind it is lovely in its bones, with ceilings made from chestnut reclaimed from an antique barn, and wood-burning stone fireplaces. There’s a handpainted room upstairs that looks for all the world like its been transported from an Italian villa; there are twin dining rooms separated by a shiny marble bar; and, downstairs, a lounge and patio.
It only takes a minute to forget that you’re in a business park in Shelton.
And once you taste the food at Il Palio, you may forget where you are altogether.
Now in its sixth year of operation, Il Palio is the brainchild of owner Robert D. Scinto, who owns Enterprise Corporate Park, the high-end business complex that’s home to such companies as G.E., MetLife and Prudential.
His daughter, Katie Scinto, explains that her father wanted to give his tenants a first-class dining experience, and thus, Il Palio was born.
"He’s a big fan of Italian food and culture," explains Katie. Indeed, the restaurant is named for a horse race that’s been run annually in Siena, Italy, since at least 1283. Images of that event are everywhere in the restaurant, as are Italianate touches such as elaborate tiling and a second-floor balcony.
And the food is superb. Executive Chef Anthony Ruggerio, who began at the restaurant as a sous chef, presents a menu that’s lush with Italian-inspired dishes such as pan-seared sea bass with lobster coral sauce over herbed risotto; Colorado lamb chops on shredded lamb shoulder with rosemary jus and braised ramps; and pan-roasted veal chops layered with Prosciutto San Daniele, warm Fontina cheese and Madeira sauce.
At Il Palio, a fish of the day is presented whole and expertly deboned at a central table; at that same table is a prosciutto-slicing machine which, according to Katie, was acquired by her father after an exhaustive search in Italy.
"Sometimes you can see my dad slicing the prosciutto himself, and handing it out to customers," she smiles.
Normally, service is handled by an expert team, including General Manager Cindy Robinson. "Our attention to detail is 100 percent," she says, and her claim rings true: Our party of three was treated like royalty, even though, on a stormy night, we arrived a good 15 minutes after the kitchen was scheduled to close.
I’m so glad they stayed open for us.
Katie explains that, at her father’s corporate park, the goal is to create a total environment that includes day care, a spa, a putting green, a dry cleaner, a florist, two gyms and even a super-heated yoga studio where Bikram yoga is practiced.
This seamless suite of services obviously extends to the restaurant. Upstairs is for private dining, and Cindy says it’s home to everything from small weddings to business meetings; downstairs, the lounge features live music on the weekends and is a favorite gathering spot for after-work cocktails.
It’s the main floor that you must visit, however. It’s not every day that I recommend a restaurant whose address is "5 Corporate Drive," but Il Palio manages to make a business park in Shelton seem downright romantic.
Todd Lyon of New Haven is a freelance writer. She can be reached at toddlyon@earthlink.net. |
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