55° Wine Bar & Restaurant in Fairfield

Written by Fran Sikorski
Thursday, 28 August 2008 10:42

With four years’ success in business as Cava Wine Bar & Restaurant in New Canaan, six cousins have launched another winner, 55° Wine Bar & Restaurant, which has opened in grand style in Fairfield.

The cousins — Vicente, Kleber and Nube Siguenza and Mario, Alex, and Carlos Lopez from Ecuador — named Jacob Hamilton executive chef to create a regional-style Italian menu. Sous chef is Gabriel Carremo.

Chef Hamilton worked with restaurateur Todd English at Olive’s in New York for five years, and also at the Mediterranean Grill in Wilton and guarantees authenticity in his presentations. The menu includes eight unique antipasti; five popular salads; eight housemade pastas; and eight entrees prepared with a skillful light touch.

I was delighted to find ricotta-stuffed squash blossoms with shaved summer squash, tomato ragu and lemon vinaigrette, a seasonal delicacy that is difficult to find, on the menu and it was fabulous.

Other antipasti temptations are shrimp & grits with parmesan polenta and a spicy pesto; grilled Montauk calamari, white beans, cherry tomatoes and rosemary; crispy East Coast oysters with avocado cream, shaved radish and grapefruit.

Signature salads are classic caesar and grilled corn panzanella, with goat cheese, arugula, shaved red onion and corn bread croutons.

Chef Hamilton enjoys making pastas and his efforts are evident with such dishes as tagliatelle and bitter greens, fennel sausage, herbed ricotta and garlic bread crumbs; classic beef bolognese over gnocchi; rabbit agnolotti saltimboca, with prosciutto, sage, fontina, lemon and caper; lobster pappardelle, with charred cauliflower, golden raisins, pine nuts and spicy sausage.

An intriguing entrée was grilled Angus sirloin steak with an oversized housemade ravioli on top, filled with mashed potato and topped with an egg before being sealed and poached.

Other temping entrees are leek-wrapped salmon, fungi misto with a red wine reduction; pan-seared branzino (Chilean sea bass), with little neck clams, braised celery, pancetta and mashed potatoes; grilled diver sea scallops, with mushroom risotto cakes with warm lobster salad; veal milanese, pan-seared veal chop, arugula pesto with tomato salad; and cioppino, shrimp, mussels, lobster in a saffron tomato broth.

Recommended desserts are orange and chocolate panna cotta; lemon budino, a baked Italian pudding with whipped cream and biscotti; and chocolate lava cake.

Style and balance, lightness and deep flavor are hallmarks of the menu at the new 55° Wine Bar and Restaurant, and the six cousins from Ecuador couldn’t be happier.

55° Wine Bar & Restaurant

Dinner 5 to 10, Monday to Thursday, 5 to 11, Friday and Saturday, and 5 to 9, Sunday. Opening for lunch in September.

Reservations accepted; handicapped-accessible; major credit cards; child friendly; full bar; Italian cuisine; vegetarian selections; dietary restrictions accommodated; take-out; business casual dress; private functions; parking adjacent to the restaurant and on the street after 5.

Antipasti: $9 to $12

Salads: $8 to $10

Housemade pasta: $16 to $23

Entrees: $21 to $30

Wine, glass: $7 to $12

Bottle: $25 to $400

Desserts: $7

Side Dishes

Jean-Louis and Linda Gerin, owners of Restaurant Jean-Louis, 61 Lewis Street in Greenwich, 203-622-8450, offered their customers a complimentary glass of champagne when they returned from vacation in August and reopened the restaurant. The Gerins are also introducing their new venture in Greenwich, Le Gourmet Store, 41 East Elm Street, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, and are planning cooking and wine seminars.

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