Scalini Fedeli has two locations with one being in lower Manhattan and the other in Chatham. They pride themselves on being authentic and upscale fine dining Italian. This review is for the location in Chatham.
NOTE: The menu is PRIX FIXE meaning that it is a fixed menu for one price. You choose one starter dish, one main dish, and one dessert,
NOTE II: I emailed Scaleni Fedeli about two weeks informing them that I was a vegan and needed to know if they would accommodate me and never received a response.
The location in Chatham is a 260-year-old New Jersey farmhouse and it features high vaulted ceilings, antique pine floors, and a sense of Tuscan appeal. The upper floor is where the restrooms are located as well as additional storage.
NOTE III: There is limited lighting inside and attempting to look at the menu may require you to use the flashlight option on your mobile device.
TIP I: It was easier to view the menu from their website on your mobile device than using the flashlight to look at the menu.
Our group had six diners and our waiter provided us with the specials of the day when it was my turn to place my order, I explained that I am vegan, and I do not eat meat, fish, chicken, or animal by-products. There was some confusion as he didn't seem to understand what by-products were, so I explained, milk, cheese, and eggs.
My colleagues' dishes from start to end were a flaming train wreck. There were multiple instances of a communication breakdown and each plate added to the building rage in my colleague. My colleague chose the Sauteed Shrimp with saffron oil, seasoned with Italia parsley and fresh rosemary in a sherry plum tomato sauce with cannellini beans. It did not appear that way when presented. It seemed to me that the shrimp was smothered in a crème sauce. My colleague's second dish choice from the Piatti Di Mezzo was the Ecuadorian Shrimp sauteed in a sherry wine and garlic sauce over pecorino and sweat pea puree. His dessert choice was the souffle but more about that later.
Fortunately, my dishes were vegan but lacked flavor and any type of creativity. I must believe that the kitchen must have been fully equipped with all sorts of fresh herbs but my Roasted Beet Salad minus the mozzarella was uninspiring even though it came with sundried tomatoes dressed with a pistachio vinaigrette. The kitchen team converted the Penne with Sausage and wild mushrooms in a delicate tomato and basil sauce into a Penne pasta dish with vegetables and enough water to sink the Titanic. It was not surprising as I had consulted the reviews on Yelp and several other sites and noted that Scalini Fedeli is for those who want a fixed menu experience and can order from the options available without modifications. This is not a restaurant that cannot accommodate vegans, gluten-free, as well as dietary restrictions and allergies easily. I honestly felt trapped since the moment that I knew I was invited, and my colleague was locked into dish after dish of disappointment.
We've all seen the movie scene where all the diner's tops and forks go down, and the heads turn to the troubled table. That troubled table was where I was seated, and it went like this.
My colleague had ordered the souffle but did not get a souffle in lieu, he received something else. It looked like a chocolate ganache smear with berries. He called the waiter over to the table and my colleague who has had issues with the two previous plates was at this boiling point. The waiter came, checked his notes, and remarked very stately that my colleague did not order the souffle. The banter between the two escalated to the point where the waiter offered to bring a souffle within ten minutes and my colleague said, forget about it with some more descriptive vocabulary. It was at this point that everyone's forks went down, heads turned, and the dining room was silent. I never thought I would be sitting at that table. My colleague was correct and the continual errors solely on his plates seemed strangely connected.
I received my dessert which was berries but had a huge dollop of Zabaglione with crushed amaretti cookies It was presented phenomenally but I had no explanation to confirm if my plate with the Zabaglione was made without egg yolk. No one ever came and said, 'Sir, the Zabaglione was made with nutritional yeast or another egg replacement. Unfortunately, not one staff member said anything even when my untouched plate was picked up.
I want to be very clear that Scalini Fedeli is a remarkable location, and I am sure that the dishes are amazing as told by many reviewers from across all platforms. It's just unfortunate that we were at the wrong restaurant having the wrong dining experience read more