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Restaurants
Restaurant:
Apr 24, 2008

by FRAN SIKORSKI

Rick Laakkonen is executive chef and Chakout Hussan is pastry chef at the new Antipasti Restaurant & Wine Bar in White Plains owned by Joe and Mark Mazzotta. The menu features creative modern Italian dishes. %u2014Fran Sikorski photo
Well-known restaurateurs in Connecticut and Westchester, brothers Joe and Mark Mazzotta began their careers at an early age when they worked in pizzerias owned by an uncle in the Bronx and Westchester.
Today the brothers are the owners of four restaurants, in Armonk, Thornwood, Greenwich (Pomodoro), and the recently opened, 350-seat Antipasti Restaurant and Wine Bar on the first floor of a 17-story  building in downtown White Plains.
The dining room of Antipasti has a timeless elegance incorporating contemporary and architectural features, international artwork and antiques. With the use of organic ingredients, the chefs complement old world traditions with a modern creative touch.
Former chef at Manhattan’s Tao and River Cafe, Rick Laakkonen, originally from Finland, is in charge of the kitchen and lounge that features an antipasti bar and Vino Lounge where patrons create plates of 3, 5, 7, 12 or 15 different items, choosing from 25 house-cured meats, cheeses and other appetizers. Sous chef is Jake Eberle and pastry chef is Chakout Hussan.
Four of us enjoyed a tasting menu including appetizers, artichoke soup, ragu of grilled polpo and Manila clams with cannelloni beans,  and saffron in a tomato-lemon-thyme broth, mussels in brodetto, and oxtail tortellini in brodo with butternut squash, leeks, mushrooms and truffle oil. It was a very delicious start.  
Other popular appetizers are fritto misto, crispy calamari, sole, shrimp and celery with saffron-tomato aioli, and seared chicken livers over grilled polenta, mushrooms, mixed greens with warm aglianico vinaigrette.
Our tasting continued with pastas, whole wheat tagliatelle in a Piave di Vecchio emulsion with white truffle oil; perciatelle tre carne, a meat and tomato ragu with pork, veal, and fennel sausage; lasagna like no other; egg cappellaci with osso buco ragu; and squid ink calamarata with spinach, tomato, capers, olive oil and white wine.
Chef Laakkonen presented gorgonzola-crusted filet mignon with broccoli rabe, tomatoes, leeks in a pancetta-portobello sauce; snapper arrabiata with eggplant, romanesco cauliflower, garlic, capers, olives and anchovies; brodetto of anglerfish, scallops, lobster, shrimp, calamari, mussels and clams with tomato and saffron conchiglie pasta; and roast chicken with spinach crespelle with prosciutto cotto and crucolo cheese and tomato jus.
The most fun was a tasting of assorted spoonful delights consisting of a spoonful of chocolate mousse, mascarpone brulee, pistachio parfait, chocolate hazelnut and assorted truffles. We also tried gianduja cake with chocolate-hazelnut gelato and fudge sauce and Lady Apples with kumquat, caramel sauce, and apple cider jelly; all masterpieces.

Side dishes
Jazz on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings is featured at Barca Restaurant & Wine Bar, 93 Mill Plain Road, Danbury, 203-791-2929...The Bob Riccio Trio will perform for dinner and dancing from 6:30 to 10:30 on May 2 at Le Chateau Restaurant in South Salem, NY. Reservations, 914-533-6763, for Mother’s Day dinner, May 11, from 12 to 6:30 are also being accepted.



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