The menu at Arezzo informs the curious diner that the Italian city of the same name is a "hidden treasure." Nothing more appropriate could be said about this gem of a restaurant, tucked away in suburbia. If you want fantastic Italian food without dropping a couple Benjamins at D'Amico Cucina, this is your place.
The wine list is impressive and well-priced. It was clearly put together with a true understanding of Italian wines. Deservedly, it has earned a Wine Spectator Magazine Award of Excellence.
As for the food, you won't find better at this price. You usually won't find better at twice the price. The chef was imported from Italy and he brought all of what makes that country's cuisine great with him. Nothing is forced, nothing caries pretense, every flavor speaks for itself. I'm spoiled when it comes to Italian food. I've probably spent too much time in Italy with live-in personal chefs. New York certainly spoiled me further. So did Providence, with Al Forno. So when I say Arezzo is the real deal, I mean it.
I started with a standard appetizer: beef carpaccio with lemon juice, arugula and parmesan. I think simple and "easy" traditional dishes like this are a great measure of a restaurant. When it works you know it, when it fails you really know it. This was perfect. Every flavor - the lemon, the pepper - was in balance. It is smartly named on the menu as "Carpaccio Cipriani," after my favorite resort, The Hotel Cipriani. The hotel is located on a private island in Venice, a ten minute boat ride from the door to Harry's Bar, where carpaccio was invented in 1950.
Next I had the spaghetti carbonara, which was very good, but not great. It was heavily seasoned with pepper, as a carbonara should be. In fact, the flavors were spot on. The only thing holding this dish back is the quality of the noodles...clearly old, out of a box, and over-cooked.
The scaloppine di vitello (veal) with lemon and white wine will blow you away. I make this dish at home frequently. Mine never tastes this good. Again, a very simple dish done to perfection. I have nothing bad to say about this.
Soaring to an even higher note, the daily special stole the show. Goat cheese dumplings in a white wine, tomato, ham, and mint sauce. When Scott ordered it, he asked if the mint was a dominating flavor. The waitress assured him it was just in the background. Well, it was, and it made the dish. It gave a gentle but crisp bite to the taste, smartly cutting through the cheese and ham. It was the most pleasurable surprise I have had from a dish in a long time. The dumplings were amazingly light and airy. It sounds thick and heavy, but the mint and fresh tomato make for a shockingly refreshing dish.
I live a few blocks from Campiello. I will smile each time I drive by it on my way to Arezzo.
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