After sitting down and then reading some of the harsh reviews of this place, I was admittedly a little concerned. But none of the negatives came to pass during our family meal here this fourth of July. Instead, we had a great meal that we will never, ever forget.
As much I'd like to say the memory was made thanks to the food we ate here, the truth is our experience was memorialized the moment Bill Clinton stopped by the window and peeked his big ole head in. This being my first trip to Chappaqua, I had joked with my in-laws on the ride over as to whether we would run into Bubba dining here, and of course no one expected that would happen. But then lo and behold, I am staring the man in the eye as he looks through the window.
Understand now that I am the *last* person to go gaga over celebrity sightings. And even if deep-down I am somewhat excited by seeing someone famous, I have a rule to never bother them. But my mother-in-law would have none of it, and thought this was the opportunity of a lifetime for the grandchildren. And to her credit, Mr. President seemed to be fishing for attention by peering in the window. Long story short, we followed him outside and asked for a photo, which he happily obliged. (Several photos, actually.) He even hung out for a bit, let us play with his two dogs, and was essentially the same charming man that you have always seen on TV. Pretty amazing. He really is larger than life.
As for the food, well, turns out Clinton is a frequent visitor to the Old Stone Trattoria. And let's face it, Bubba knows a good meal when he sees it. (Although it was clear from the photo, Hillary's keeping him very trim.) Well, I must say I had one of the more delicious plates of pasta that I have had in a long time. It was a simple dish that I ordered: Whole wheat penne baked with eggplant and marinara sauce, and topped with a layer of fresh mozzarella. Dishes like this all come down to the gravy. My friend Marc N's family makes the best gravy I've ever had, and this was pretty damn close. You cannot get this much flavor without making it from scratch, and cooking it for hours and hours on end. It was absolutely delicious.
My mother-in-law and wife shared an eggplant wedge. (Normally, being from NJ and all, I refuse to call subs "wedges," but I'll be nice in this case given that I was dining in the Wedge Belt.) MIL and wifey said it was very good. My manorexic father-in-law had a small Chappaqua Salad, but wasn't able to finish it. (smh) And my son, the healthy eater he is, had a giant slice of chocolate layer cake and only ate the icing off the top and back. A classic family dinner.
Old Stone Trattoria, truth be told, is technically just a glorified pizza joint. But they've decorated it such that it feels like you are dining in someone's house. And the BYOB policy is nice given that they have a liquor store literally right next door. I did not try the pizza unfortunately, as that would be the true measure of this place's greatness. But I did spy an artichoke and spinach pizza on whole wheat crust on the menu, which I most certainly will come back for. And who knows, maybe next time Bubba will come in and join me for a slice.
(No deduction of stars for all the Chappaqua locals who gave us the stinkeye for bothering their local celebrity. Tough titty for you.) read more