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Community Corner

Milano Osteria's "Light" Summer Menu Making It a Popular Destination

“Anyone who enjoys classic Italian food must dine at Milano Osteria” is among the many rave reviews this recently-opened restaurant at 564 Middlebury Road in Middlebury has been receiving. Opened in October 2013 by two veteran restaurateurs, co-owners Sam Bacco and Chef Martin Garcia, Milano Osteria has rapidly become “The Best in Middlebury” as some diners claim. Created by Bacco and Garcia who previously worked together at Bacco’s Restaurant in Waterbury, Milano Osteria offers remarkably light summer lunch and dinner menus featuring dishes prepared with the very freshest of ingredients and “admirable attention to detail.”

“Milano Osteria,” stated Bacco, “offers traditional Italian foods prepared the way they are in Italy. Every dish is made fresh and with focused attention on every detail. Chef Garcia and I are strongly committed to excellence in everything we serve to our guests, and we are very delighted to be receiving such high praise for our summer menus and accompanying fine wines, spirits and craft beers.”

Enjoying a rapidly-growing loyal customer following, Milano Osteria, located in the heart of historic Middlebury, offers a small menu of traditional ‘osteria’ Italian cuisine of fresh pastas, grilled meats and fish. Chef Garcia stated, “I absolutely love to cook and my passion is exemplified in our dedication to using only the freshest of ingredients. Our menus are purposefully kept small to offer exceptional quality with fresh foods. The dishes served combine my many years of cooking experience and training is some of Manhattan’s finest restaurants along with Mr. Bacco’s extensive restaurant operational experience and mine at Bacco’s Restaurant, plus his grandfather’s wonderful recipes that date back to the 1930’s.”

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Chef Garcia’s expertise was specifically honed for Milano Osteria from his travels to Italy and Spain in 2012 and 2013 to gather ideas for the restaurant’s menus. “To offer the finest of foods,” explained Garcia, “we use ingredients we procure from the high-end purveyors in the New York metropolitan region. We bring in organic meats from Pennsylvania’s Amish country, freshly-made pastas from New Haven and Manhattan prepared specifically for our restaurant, plus we serve Tuscan-style bread made to Sam Bacco’s grandfather’s specifications that we obtain from a bakery in Deep River. His grandfather, Santillo Bacco, founded Bacco’s pizzeria in 1931 and that restaurant’s long-standing fame was founded on offering only the very best of foods. We strive to continually offer that same high quality with every dish, wine, spirit and craft beer we serve.”

Spaghetti Chitarra al Pomodoro, Homemade Spinaci Gnocchi Ragu, Lasagne Verdi al Forno alla Bolognese, Spaghetti Nere ai Frutti di Mare, Homemade Pappardelle alla Bolognese and Risotto with shrimp, asparagus, mushrooms and fresh tomatoes are the Pasta E Risotto dinner dishes being served this summer at Milano Osteria. Fresh Cod, Grilled Gamberoni, Pollo Arrostito, Maiale alla Milanese, Bistecca di Manzo Fiorentina Style, Hunger Steak au Poivre, and Costoletta di Vitello veal chop are the restaurant’s inviting summer entrees. “All our meats,” stated Bacco, “are provided by Pat LaFrieda in New York and come from Creekstone Farm in Pennsylvania’s Dutch Country.” Side dishes are Asparagi, Broccoli de Rape, Spinaci alla Romana and Pommes de Terre. Appetizers include Assorted Slumi, Burrata, Fresh Gamberoni shrimp, Mussels Posillipo, plus Grilled Baby Calamari.

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A lighter luncheon summer menu is also garnering high-praise reviews from diners including “Chef, co-owner Martin Garcia is masterful.” Chicken Paillard, Frittata, Sautéed Shrimp and Clams, Sautéed Filet of Sole, Char-Grilled N.Y. Sirloin, Milano Burger, Spaghetti Chitarra al Pomodoro, Rigatoni Pomodoro, Homemade Cheese Ravioli, Spinach Lasagna and Homemade Pappardelle are the popular entrée dishes. Burrata, Mussels Posillipo, Classic Caesar, Classic Baby Spinach, Panzanella Salad, and a Watermelon Salad are the Appetizers being served at Milano Osteria, located in the former L Restaurant at the historic ‘four corners in the heart’ of Middlebury. 

Wine by the glass is also a special offering of Milano Osteria. A successful seller of wines for the past eight years, Sam Bacco’s extensive knowledge of wines is evident in the restaurant’s serving of artisan and mostly-Italian wines. Several of the wines are exclusive to the restaurant and come from small, family-owned vineyards and are harvested by hand. “We only offer craft beers, no national brands,” stated Bacco. “On our summer lunch menu we suggest Old-World wines that are coming back into popularity including Soave, Vernaccia, Gavi d Gavi, Crisp Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay or a delicious Rose. These are crafted light summer wines produced from small wineries in Italy. We also suggest our house wines which include Pinot Noir, Montepulciano do’Abruzzo and Cabernet Sauvignon.”

Presenting an ‘old-style, homey ambiance, Milano Osteria’s newly-created interior is painted in a soothing eggplant mauve hue. “We secured this wonderful location after the previous tenant, L restaurant, moved out. Martin and I discussed opening Milano Osteria together based on our successful work collaboration for Bacco’s restaurant. After looking at this space, we brought in all new kitchen equipment and modified the interior for a relaxing, fine-yet-casual dining experience.

Being located at one of Middlebury’s busiest intersections with five roadways merging at one traffic light, we believe we’re attracting a good deal of positive attention from people traveling from many different directions including steady customers from New Haven and Fairfield and Litchfield Counties. Our easy-to-reach location has always appealed to me, and we’re delighted we’re welcoming guests traveling off I-84 via rave reviews we’re receiving on Yelp and TripAdvisor.com. Once people dine here, they say they can’t eat Italian cuisine anywhere else. No other restaurant, we’re told, in the region offers such delicious, freshly-prepared and truly authentic Italian cuisine.”

Milano Osteria is located at 564 Middlebury Road in Middlebury and open Tuesday through Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 5:00 to 9:30 p.m., Friday 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 5:00 to 10:00 p.m., Saturday 5:00 to 10:00 p.m., and Sunday 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. Happy Hour with $4 Bar Snacks including Jumbo Shrimp wrapped with Pancetta over Tuscan Beans is also hosted Tuesday through Friday 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Reservations can be made by calling 203-758-5640 or emailing to winesforu564@gmail.com. More information can be found on www.MilanoOsteria.com and on Facebook @MilanoOsteria.


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