Restaurant Review: A Touch of Venice

It’s a ritual in my family to go out to dinner to celebrate our respective birthdays. And of course, we let the celebrant choose the spot. Knowing that my husband’s birthday was fast approaching, it was time to ask the question “Where are we going for your birthday this year?” And, without a second to think, out came “A Touch of Venice, of course.”
Located right on Main Street (Route 25) in Cutchogue, all that is missing are the canals, gondolas and gondoliers to feel like you are truly in Venice. The atmosphere is warm and inviting and the aromas fragrant with the scent of flavors.
Our waiter, Andrew, a member of the Pennacchia family that owns the restaurant, was affable and knowledgeable about every ingredient in every dish. We asked him to have the chef, his brother Brian, pick out an assortment of foods for us. What followed were five courses of pure food heaven.
We started off with Peach and Prosciutto Salad. The peaches and goat feta were fresh from local farms and tasted like it. It was served over local butter lettuce with a fresh and light peach vinaigrette.
Our next course was a Cold Seafood Bruschetta. Shrimp, clams, mussels, calamari and scallops served over toasted Tuscan bread, with local heirloom red and yellow tomatoes, all topped with a salsa verde. The salsa verde was a blend of arugula, capers, pine nuts and dill. Needless to say, it was amazing. I went to the market the next day, purchased those ingredients and replicated it…it was that good! The seafood was all extremely fresh, and cooked to perfection.
Next, out came beautiful Summer Pasta. The striking bowl consisted of tomatoes and eggplant with fresh mozzarella and basil over fuscilli bucati. The tomatoes and mozzarella melted in my mouth and the sauce was light and flawlessly seasoned.
The pasta was al dente and the salt from the mozzarella along with the garlic made for a delicious sauce.
As the main entrée of Veal Rollatini came out, we just couldn’t imagine that the quality could be retained. We were wrong.
The veal could not have been cooked better, the stuffing of prosciutto and Parmigianino, pecorino and mozzarella cheeses was scrumptious, and the sauce was a delightful combination of porcini mushrooms, and marsala wine. And to top it off, plated with the veal was the best rice ball I have ever eaten. As I bit into this fried ball of absolute heaven, I could taste the creamy risotto, fresh Parmigianino cheese, crispy pancetta and parsley. Quite an experience, to say the least!
As if we weren’t full enough (we totally cleared our plates), our dessert was a Chocolate Hazelnut Torte with a caramel gelato and orange sauce. The torte was moist, with hazelnuts in every bite, and the gelato was the creamiest I have ever eaten.
Once again, a Touch of Venice did not disappoint; on the contrary, it surpassed our expectations and made my husband’s birthday celebration dinner one of the best ever. Thank you for the extraordinary meal, Touch of Venice. See you again before the next birthday!

Touch of Venice, 28350 Main Road, Cutchogue.
631-298-5851, www.touchofvenice.com.