Rustico: Scarsdale's Italian Treasure

Rustico Ristorante is aptly named; just walking into the small restaurant can make you feel as if you're in a rustic Italian village.  Just don't look out the window, or the unsightly buildings across the street might remind you that you're still on Central Avenue, not sitting in Naples.

The walls are decorated with paintings that capture the streets of Italy in watercolor.  Racks of wine bottles and decorative plates are ceremoniously displayed near the kitchen, and a light layer of classical music helps set the tone.  It's the type of relaxing little haven that isn't easy to find in Westchester.

But how's the food?  

For starters, the bread is delicious.  Crusty on the outside, soft on the inside, and served with a plate of olives soaking in extra virgin olive oil, it's likely to leave you calling for another basket.

As our appetizer, we dove into the polpette in braghetta, a dish of home-made meatballs wrapped in eggplant, served on a bed of fresh tomato sauce and topped with shavings of ricotta salata cheese.  Described by the menu as "a recipe right from [owner Nello Tizzano's] mom's kitchen," it tasted like it too.  The meatballs were tender and light, with a turkey-like flavor that contrasted nicely with the fresh eggplant and slightly spicy tomato sauce.  Ricotta salata is a bit too strong for me, but the other flavors helped mitigate the pungency of the cheese and create a great combination of taste.

For our main course, we tried out the rigatoni mediterraneo, a vegetarian meal that consisted of homemade rigatoni sautéed in garlic and olive oil with calamata olives, sliced artichokes, and fresh tomatoes, all layered with a parmigiano crust.  The vegetables were very hearty and blended together nicely, and although the pasta was a little too oily, the flavors worked, and it made a very solid meatless dish.

We also dove into a paesana pizza, or a standard margherita pizza topped with Italian sausage, salami, and parma prosciutto.  The meat was very tasty, but what stood out was the melt-in-your-mouth thin crust, which I would have happily eaten straight out of the oven, with nothing else on it.  Crisp and crunchy, it tasted like it had been freshly made in Italy and somehow brought to our table within the past fifteen minutes.

When it came time for dessert, we were completely overwhelmed.  My friend somehow persuaded me not to order everything on the menu, so we went with the torta di farmaggio fritto, a deep-fried banana caramel cheesecake that was resoundingly underwhelming.  It came out resembling an eggroll and tasted like one too, at least on the outside.  The inside was more like a dessert but also more difficult to finish, swimming in artificial banana flavor that drowned out both the caramel and the cheesecake.

On the other hand, the chocolate ganache was absolutely delicious.  Served with a side of fresh vanilla ice cream, this delectable soufflé was perfectly portioned and perfectly cooked.  The cool vanilla helps temper the richness of the chocolate, the two combining perfectly in an explosion of flavor. 

Rustico is easy to miss, a hidden little Italian gem among the myriad restaurants and fast food joints dotted along Central Avenue.  But with affordable entrees and tasty, well-sized portions, it's one rustic treasure you won't want to miss.