ODO: The Cuisine of Abruzzo in Tuckahoe

When I ventured south this weekend and found an inviting storefront restaurant in Tuckahoe I wondered why I hadn’t heard about it earlier. Was it new? Apparently it had opened three years ago and escaped my notice. Well better late than never! We were pleased to find friendly service, the freshest ingredients and home cooking at ODO, an innovative and young offering to the dining scene in lower Westchester.

We booked a table at 6:45 on a Saturday and felt lucky to score one of the last tables for the earlier dinner seating. The restaurant is not large but in addition to tables has ample seating at the bar, where many were enjoying their meals.

Our helpful, informed and welcoming server arrived speedily with our menus and provided a road map to ordering off the staged menu.

But first, drinks! There’s a nice variety of Italian red and white wines along with “bubbly “Frizzantes” and “Birras.” You can order the wine by the glass or by the bottle and they are happy to let you taste first. We considered Trebbiano and Gavi from the “Bianco” list and also noted the Montelpuciano Riserva, Nero D’Avola and a Super Tuscan from the “Rossos,” Also on the menu are 10 original cocktails that were really tempting.

The menu is divided into “Sputino” (light snacks), Starters, Pastas and Mains. Our waiter strongly recommended the Scarpetta, telling us it was house baked focaccia accompanied by a dipping sauce made with cream, butter, garlic, shallots, anchovies, capers and white wine. He claimed it pretty much starts the meal at every table. It was a good tip, and it proved hard not to fill up on the warm, crusty bread before the dinner arrived.
From the list of salads, we ordered the Bodega Salad, which is thinly sliced iceberg lettuce mixed with finely sliced prosciutto cotto and pecorino cheese in a creamy dressing. We recommend you split the generous portion with your companions.

There are five pasta selections on the menu and there were a bunch of specials as well. We had a hard time deciding between the Ragu Abruzzese, which is pasta in a tomato sauce with lamb, beef and pork and the Timballo, a lasagna made with crepes rather than pasta sheets. This weekend there were a variety of gnocchi preparations and we went for a house made gnocchi with tomato sauce and parmesan.

From the main courses, the Pollo Di Casa was a sumptuous roast chicken, again served with a white sauce and there was a cod special served over sauteed vegetables that looked delicious as well.

What came through in every dish was the fresh preparation in the open kitchen we could see behind the bar – and the artisanal ingredients.

The open floor plan, high ceilings and candlelight made it feel like you had stopped by a good friend’s place for dinner and we will be visiting again soon.

ODO
72 Main Street
Tuckahoe, NY
914-222-9248

Open:
Tuesday - Thursday 5 PM - 10 PM
Friday - Saturday 5 PM - 11 PM
Sunday 2 PM - 7 PM

Check them out on Instagram and book your table on Resy.