Rossobianco opened recently without the usual frenzy or shrugs of a must-go-to new and novel place to dine in a city getting overwrought with sure-fire James Beard Award nominees. And believe it or not, Bon Appétit Magazine–which I still remember as a third-class citizen when Gourmet and Food and Wine reigned in the food magazine world–has yet to pounce on this newcomer. (I’ve heard that BA staffers keep an apartment in Portland so that they can be first in the door and first to publish news about our vibrant dining scene.)
The food-magazine oracles should visit because Rossobianco is very good. I’ve been there twice—well almost three times—in the last several weeks. It’s located at the inauspicious corner known as Bramhall Square. Ask one of out of three Portlanders where this is and you’d probably induce a few scratched heads.
Rossobianco at Bramhall Square, 3 Deering Ave.
A Google search would take you to 3 Deering Ave.–a storefront that has seen many retail tenants come and go. It faces the Vaughan Street-Bramhall intersection at Congress Street and is sandwiched between Peloton Labs and Lourdes hair salon. Parking is tough here, though, what with all the senseless “no-parking” signs posted as numerously as seagulls on rooftops. Unless you’re within walking distance your best bet is to call Uber and put their GPS system to the test.
But there it is within plain sight, the green building with no sign over the door.
Rossobianco
But once you get inside you’ll see a thoroughly charming, woodsy room: banquettes and booths along the wall and in front of the street-facing windows; a center dining bar that holds at least 12 people and then the bar and open kitchen off to the side.
My first visit occurred during the worst of our heat wave last week. Be warned, the lone wall-mounted air conditioner barely beat the heat and humidity so look for cooler nights to go. In fact, I see it as a stunningly cozy place to dine during the shoulder season starting in the fall.
The dining room and communal dining bar
The setting just begs you to order a Negroni, but there’s no hard liquor here because it’s basically a wine bar.
Rossobianco is co-owned by David Levi, of Vinland fame, and given his Italian-Jewish heritage he obviously longed to have an Italian restaurant. Rossobianco does not follow the strict local only regimen of Vinland. That is, there’s plenty of olive oil, lemons and pignoli nuts in its larder.
The bar and open kitchen
Co-owner Colleen Callahan, who manages the all-natural wine program at the restaurant, will serve you at the bar and knows every nuance of the menu. It’s prepared by chef de cuisine Scott London who—no drum rolls please–has not apprenticed at Fore Street or Hugo’s. But he has traveled extensively through Italy, cooking and learning and is professionally trained. He’s a native Mainer—from Bath. And from what I experienced he knows what he’s doing.
I asked Callahan if a full bar is in the works, and her basic answer was that Rossobianco does not want to join the hoopla of the craft-cocktail set. Oh, well. But the wine list is extensive with plenty of choices by the glass of unusual wines from Italy.
Teeny Aperitivi
The cuisine is northern Italian, which means you’ll find polenta and butter laced dishes on the menu rather than the heavy tomato-based sauces of southern cooking. It’s different from Solo Italiano, which also specializes in northern Italian cuisine, in that their menu is heavily focused on seafood and pasta.
London’s touch is so light it makes for a delightful dining experience. Since the kitchen is open you can watch him seriously working at the stove, fussing, stirring and sautéing.
My first bite was a croquette of blue fish set on a sweetly tasty bed of onions, figs and pine nuts. While I found the fish—normally oily and moist—a little dry under its breading, it was moistened by the sauce, a fine condiment that gave the dish character. I would order it again, hoping that it’s not over cooked.
Blue fish croquette and Frico with Montassio cheese
My next nibble, accompanied by a pleasant Italian Chardonnay, was frico, a specialty of the Friuli region. A sheath of Montassio cheese is fried over high heat so that it becomes a cheese wafer, which is topped with sautéed cabbage and spring onions. With four pieces on the plate this little dish could have been shared easily.
Main courses include fish, pork and beef and a nice list of pastas—all of which are in small and large sizes allowing one to order multiple dishes at a moderate cost.
The Tagliatelle al Ragu alla Bolognese, for instance, is made with house-cut egg noodles laced with a luscious meat sauce that does not rely on too much tomato sauce as its binding ingredient. I ordered the small portion and loved its luxurious texture and subtle flavors. With just a hint of tomato, the silken pieces of beef and pork—more buttery than olive-oily—were cooked classically in a reduction of wine, milk and aromatics. The pasta was silken and toothy, perfectly cooked.
Tagliatelle alla Bolognese
At my second visit I started with a crostini of hake. Here the cooked flaked fish was simply bound with crème fraiche and lemon and served on toast points. Accompanied by a wine cocktail called Teeny Aperitivi, this was a marvelous blend of vermouth from Channing Daughters winery on the North Fork of Long Island, New York, infused with fennel, sage, nasturtium, lemon balm rose, sparkling water and spices served on the rocks. It was a great cocktail, which I drank throughout the dinner, ordering a second one.
A second small course was thin slices of seared calf’s liver, which barely touched the heat, and was served over polenta and sweetened with caramelized onions. It’s certainly an acquired taste to eat liver that’s basically raw but I loved it for its simplicity and elegance.
Homemade pasta with eggplant and smoked mozzarella; crostini topped with hake and seared calves liver over polenta
For my main course I chose a pasta dish again. This time it was Scialatielli con Passato di Pomodoro—short, thick fettucine style basil pasta with tomatoes, wine, eggplant and smoked mozzarella. Again the silken textures prevailed, down to the toothy pasta and the elegantly simple sauce.
An excellent polenta cake
As the newest restaurant to open this summer, I’m glad it didn’t get overhyped, giving it time to gain its footing. But I think there’s much to expect from its very able chef, and the attentiveness of its co-owners who are set to make this place sparkle.
Rossobianco, 3 Deering Ave., Portland, ME 207-809-9515 www.rossobianco.me
Rating: a solid four stars with more to come, I’m sure. Wonderfully fresh fare, much of it locally sourced, and splendidly prepared
Ambiance: cool but unpretentious
Seating: at the bar, booths, banquettes
Parking: on the street but little of it
$$$ Moderate, especially if you order the small portions
