Make Your Way to Finalmente Trattoria in Sleepy Hollow

Make Your Way to Finalmente Trattoria in Sleepy Hollow

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Wednesday, 16 November 2011 17:20

Last Updated: Wednesday, 16 November 2011 17:56

Published: Wednesday, 16 November 2011 17:20

cardsharp Tired of the Westchester restaurant scene? Here’s a new place to try. We were tipped off to this Trattoria in Sleepy Hollow by some Scarsdale friends who moved west to the Hudson – and though they swore us to secrecy our meal was so delicious that we’re leaking the information to you.

Finalmente Trattoria Italiana and Wine Bar can be found on Beekman Avenue in Sleepy Hollow, just off Route 9, about a 20-minute drive from Scarsdale. If you go on a weeknight, or early on a weekend you’ll likely get a table quickly – if not, you can wait at the long bar and enjoy a glass of wine from their extensive list of Italian wines from some of the smaller producers. Be forwarned …. Finalmente does not take reservations, so come prepared to wait if you go at prime time on a Friday or Saturday night.

The restaurant was opened two years ago by Daniel Damiano who recruited Chef Desirio Donato who served as the chef at Il

Rollatine de Zucchine

Cortile in Little Italy for sixteen years and at The Sign of the Dove before that. Damiano, who lives in the area, is a veteran of the restaurant business and looked for the right site in Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown for years before finding the restaurant’s current location.

The chef buys his ingredients from local sources including the farmer’s market, green market in Manhattan and Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, and the menu pulls classic Italian recipes from all regions of Italy. The menu is extensive – and in addition to what’s shown, there are daily specials. We can only vouch for what we tasted – but we’re hoping to return soon to sample more.

We started our meal with the Cestino da Viaggio, a Grana Padano cheese basket filled with bufala mozzarella, soppressata, olives, mixed cheeses and prosciutto di Parma. The generous platter was enough for the four of us to share. We also tried the Rollatine de Zucchine, lightly fried zucchini, stuffed with fresh ricotta and served on a bed of tomato sauce. Pictured here, it was delectable.

Lobster in Spicy Red Sauce

Among the choices on the antipasti menu are carpaccio of beef, tuna Sushi Toscano, baked oysters topped with bacon and drizzled with Worcestershire and a salad of baked goat cheese medallions in breadcrumbs served with arugula and grape tomatoes in a lemon dressing.

For entrees, we couldn’t pass on the lobster/pasta special that was featured the night we were there. We enjoyed a baked half lobster and fresh fettuccini served in a spicy tomato sauce.

We also tried another favorite, the Timballo, which is Finalmente’s interpretation of lasagna: lasagna noodles layered with béchamel and Bolognese sauces topped with Parmigianino Regianno cheese. According to Damiano, customer favorites that remain on the menu year-round include Tagliatelle Nere Con Granchio; homemade squid in tagliatelle, tossed with Alaskan king crab in a light cream sauce as well as Trofie Finalmente, pasta with chickpeas, wild mushrooms and Parmigianino Reggiano cheese drizzled with white truffle infused extra virgin olive oil. Though we opted for the pastas, the menu does include a full selection of fresh fish, beef chicken and veal dishes.

The setting is spacious and warm and we couldn’t help but notice the large mural-size painting on the wall, which is a