Spaghetti all’arrabbiata—San Marzano tomato sauce, garlic confit, peperoncinos and cherry tomatoes
Options for Italian fare in Fairfield and Westchester counties are almost as abundant as vineyards in Tuscany. And our appetite for the cuisine is equally plentiful. Enter Felice, a popular New York eatery that launched on the Upper East Side in 2007 and now has multiple locations, with the newest opening in Port Chester and Westport. Diners at Felice enjoy an inviting atmosphere while savoring a menu of Tuscan-inspired dishes. The standards here, such as cacio e pepe and fusilli al ferretto, are well prepared, but some of the less common specialty dishes were among our favorites.
Felice’s spacious dining room in Port Chester, the former home of Saltaire and Willett House, was completely full with friends and families eating out on a cold Friday evening. When I checked Resy on a Wednesday, there were no tables for Friday night, but a call to the hostess landed us a comfortable booth at 6 p.m. The bar was also buzzing with people; some may have been lingering after the aperitivo happy hour, with special prices for cocktails, wine and bites. We didn’t realize until after circling the back parking lot for a bit that Felice actually has valet parking out front, which is key on busier evenings.
Set inside a historic circa-1903 building that once housed a grain warehouse, the dramatic dining room features vaulted ceilings with exposed beams and giant iron chandeliers that add to the ambience. Original brick walls are adorned with vintage metal trays and mirrors. Seating ranges from round tables with half-moon banquettes to booths, which line two walls of the room. Tucked into a very comfortable booth, our group chose drinks (a berry mule mocktail and wine) from the daily list. Both of the wine specials were organic/biodynamic, and the Syrah Melograno we ordered had berry notes with a smooth finish—light and very easy to drink, which led us to order a bottle for the table.
Burrata with cherry tomatoes and fresh basil
A dirty martini
For starters, the eggplant parmesan featured rich layers of the vegetable in a deep red sauce, not overwhelmed by too much cheese or breadcrumbs. Fried calamari and artichokes, lightly battered and mingled together on the plate with a side of aioli, make an addictive pre-dinner snack. Intrigued by the specials, we also tried puntarelle e burrata, which came out bruschetta style, with the sliced puntarella chicory (a vegetable that resembles celery but tastes more like fennel with a hint of arugula-like bitterness), stracciatella cheese, Sicilian anchovies and dressing on top of toasted bread. We loved the way the creamy cheese balanced the slightly bitter chicory and anchovies, but the dish was tough to eat, the thick bread so crusty that it was hard to manage with all the toppings, even using a fork and knife.
Cozy nooks invite guests to linger and enjoy every last delicious bite.
Though we were all happy with our entrées, selected among a range of pastas and mains, the winner—if we were to declare one—was the peposo, ordered by the true Italian in our group. This Tuscan take on beef stew tasted like the ultimate comfort food—Chianti-marinated prime beef in a lush sauce with carrots and crispy fried sage, served over a polenta-like corn cake. Branzino al cartoccio, sea bass steamed inside parchment paper, was tender and aromatic, with olives and grape tomatoes complementing the mild fish. Hearty meat flavor stood out in the braised beef rigatoni special, a sans-tomato pasta special. Fresh fusilli in a bright San Marzano tomato sauce topped with creamy stracciatella cheese was punctuated by fresh basil—a simple, satisfying preparation that’s also a very generous portion.
Faroe Islands pepper-crusted salmon, oven-roasted with black beluga lentils, braised swiss chard, piccata sauce and parsley
For those debating whether dessert is worth the calories, we would vote yes after trying the pistachio torta. This cake, layered with pistachio cream and nuts and paired with a pistachio gelato, was sublime and not something you see on run-of-the-mill Italian menus. The tiramisu was super creamy, almost more of a pudding, and a portion that’s enough to satisfy several people’s sweet tooth. True to the restaurant’s name, we left feeling happy and grateful for a delicious evening.
SUNDAY SPECIAL
To get a taste of Felice for the best price, try the Sunday Supper with two courses and a glass of wine for $45.
FELICE
55 Abendroth Avenue, Port Chester,
New York, 914-786-5500;
felicerestaurants.com