Aroma Osteria (Italian) – Wappingers Falls, NY - 10/4/08
I have been to Aroma Osteria several times since moving to the area. If you’ve driven on route 9 it’s hard to miss the Tuscan yellow villa like restaurant setup
on the hill overlooking the Hudson Valley. Although I have eaten here before this is the first time I am writing about it.
Driving up the long driveway you immediately get the feeling that you are Italy, not the Hudson Valley. The Tuscan styled villa is painted a lively yellow and offers
great views of the sun setting over the valley if you time it right. Guests are greeted by an artistic water feature before being led up the staircase to the
restaurant and bar on the second floor. The bar area offers a warm, classy and comfortable atmosphere with a wide variety of wines by the glass. A glass
enclosed wine room is off the left. Aroma Osteria has a serious dedication to wine service. It’s also important to note that Aroma Osteria is the sister
restaurant to Il Barilotto in Fishkill which has received an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator Magazine for their wine service.
Once inside the dining room is divided into 3 or 4 sections. They also have an outside patio area for warmer weather. For the first time I also noticed a
vegetable garden out back which I’m sure is put to use to offer locally grown herbs and vegetables. The entire place has a true feel of being in Tuscany. They
really covered every detail.
If you’ve read other articles of mine you have heard me mention the importance of good bread, especially at an Italian restaurant. Aroma Osteria serves a
crusty Tuscan bread accompanied by a very fragrant olive oil. You could really pick up the olive taste in the oil, a sign of quality for sure.
In my past visits the food has always been very good. This time around I decided to go with their specials for both courses. I started with the Tripe special and
for my main course grilled Cornish Game Hen.
I know what you are thinking, Tripe? Yes, tripe. I’ve only had it a couple of times before and felt obligated to experience Aroma Osteria’s preparation. If you don’t
know tripe is cow’s stomach. Stay with me, it’s not as bad as it sounds. The key to cooking tripe is to not overcook it. It’s boiled in water and vinegar to make
the taste more appealing. It needs about an hour of cooking time in the water and if overcooked can become very chewy. Much like calamari, if cooked properly
it’s tasty and tender, if overcooked it’s uneatable. Aroma got it right. The tripe was very tender and lightly breaded. It was served in a warm crock with a tomato
based broth including carrots and celery. It was a very homey starter and I’m really glad I went out on a limb to try it. In doing some research I found a tripe
recipe in Mario Batali’s cookbook, Babbo which features recipe’s from his highly rated NY restaurant. He notes that it used to be very hard to sell tripe but that
now it flies out of his kitchen and has become a favorite. So give it a try if you have the opportunity.
My main course was an equal follow up. The Cornish Game Hen is essentially a mini-chicken. It’s the perfect serving size for one person. I enjoy it because
you get both the white meat of the breast and the dark meat of the legs and thighs. Also since it is cooked on the bone you have a very strong poultry flavor. The
skin was nicely browned and crisp. Creamy mashed potatoes and sautéed green beans completed the dish. I don’t often order poultry (other than duck) when
dining out but twice in the same night I was rewarded with trying something new.
I was also able to taste the Impepata Di Cozze: Prince Edward Island Mussels Steamed In A Broth Of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Garlic & Fresh Herbs, Panzanella:
Cherry Tomatoes, Peasant Bread, Cucumber, Red Onion & Fresh Basil Tossed With Extra-Virgin Olive Oil & Red Wine Vinegar, and Farfalle Deliziose Bow-
Ties In A Cream Sauce With Prosciutto, Wild Mushrooms, Sun-Dried Tomatoes. Everyone at my table was very pleased with the meal.
The service was very attentive, if not over aggressive in trying to remove a bowl of mussel broth before it had been properly mopped up with some leftover
bread.
Aroma Osteria is a must try in the Hudson Valley for genuine Italian made with quality and interesting preparation. Aroma Osteria received a 27 food rating in
Zagat making it one of the highest ranked in the Hudson Valley region. I encourage you to check it out and let me know what you thought.
I have been to Aroma Osteria several times since moving to the area. If you’ve driven on route 9 it’s hard to miss the Tuscan yellow villa like restaurant setup
on the hill overlooking the Hudson Valley. Although I have eaten here before this is the first time I am writing about it.
Driving up the long driveway you immediately get the feeling that you are Italy, not the Hudson Valley. The Tuscan styled villa is painted a lively yellow and offers
great views of the sun setting over the valley if you time it right. Guests are greeted by an artistic water feature before being led up the staircase to the
restaurant and bar on the second floor. The bar area offers a warm, classy and comfortable atmosphere with a wide variety of wines by the glass. A glass
enclosed wine room is off the left. Aroma Osteria has a serious dedication to wine service. It’s also important to note that Aroma Osteria is the sister
restaurant to Il Barilotto in Fishkill which has received an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator Magazine for their wine service.
Once inside the dining room is divided into 3 or 4 sections. They also have an outside patio area for warmer weather. For the first time I also noticed a
vegetable garden out back which I’m sure is put to use to offer locally grown herbs and vegetables. The entire place has a true feel of being in Tuscany. They
really covered every detail.
If you’ve read other articles of mine you have heard me mention the importance of good bread, especially at an Italian restaurant. Aroma Osteria serves a
crusty Tuscan bread accompanied by a very fragrant olive oil. You could really pick up the olive taste in the oil, a sign of quality for sure.
In my past visits the food has always been very good. This time around I decided to go with their specials for both courses. I started with the Tripe special and
for my main course grilled Cornish Game Hen.
I know what you are thinking, Tripe? Yes, tripe. I’ve only had it a couple of times before and felt obligated to experience Aroma Osteria’s preparation. If you don’t
know tripe is cow’s stomach. Stay with me, it’s not as bad as it sounds. The key to cooking tripe is to not overcook it. It’s boiled in water and vinegar to make
the taste more appealing. It needs about an hour of cooking time in the water and if overcooked can become very chewy. Much like calamari, if cooked properly
it’s tasty and tender, if overcooked it’s uneatable. Aroma got it right. The tripe was very tender and lightly breaded. It was served in a warm crock with a tomato
based broth including carrots and celery. It was a very homey starter and I’m really glad I went out on a limb to try it. In doing some research I found a tripe
recipe in Mario Batali’s cookbook, Babbo which features recipe’s from his highly rated NY restaurant. He notes that it used to be very hard to sell tripe but that
now it flies out of his kitchen and has become a favorite. So give it a try if you have the opportunity.
My main course was an equal follow up. The Cornish Game Hen is essentially a mini-chicken. It’s the perfect serving size for one person. I enjoy it because
you get both the white meat of the breast and the dark meat of the legs and thighs. Also since it is cooked on the bone you have a very strong poultry flavor. The
skin was nicely browned and crisp. Creamy mashed potatoes and sautéed green beans completed the dish. I don’t often order poultry (other than duck) when
dining out but twice in the same night I was rewarded with trying something new.
I was also able to taste the Impepata Di Cozze: Prince Edward Island Mussels Steamed In A Broth Of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Garlic & Fresh Herbs, Panzanella:
Cherry Tomatoes, Peasant Bread, Cucumber, Red Onion & Fresh Basil Tossed With Extra-Virgin Olive Oil & Red Wine Vinegar, and Farfalle Deliziose Bow-
Ties In A Cream Sauce With Prosciutto, Wild Mushrooms, Sun-Dried Tomatoes. Everyone at my table was very pleased with the meal.
The service was very attentive, if not over aggressive in trying to remove a bowl of mussel broth before it had been properly mopped up with some leftover
bread.
Aroma Osteria is a must try in the Hudson Valley for genuine Italian made with quality and interesting preparation. Aroma Osteria received a 27 food rating in
Zagat making it one of the highest ranked in the Hudson Valley region. I encourage you to check it out and let me know what you thought.
| Aroma Osteria www.aromaosteriarestaurant.com 114 Old Post Road Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 (845) 298-6790 |
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