Scaramella's offers traditional Italian fine dining, but the charm was lost on us. While we showed up craving the nostalgia of an old-school white tablecloth restaurant -- warm, attentive, and experienced hosts serving up classic dishes that were full of flavor -- what we got instead was pricey, mediocre food delivered with nothing more than perfunctory service.
We arrived early for our reservation, and our host offered us a seat at the bar while we waited for our table. They do have a full bar with a wide selection of spirits and a few specialty cocktails, but we opted for wine. The wine was a generous pour and a good price for Westchester ($10 a glass), but the cabernet and the pinot noir we ordered were only so-so. My wife left most of her glass on the table. The bar is a cozy space, and a few loud patrons drained any pleasure out of the experience rather quickly.
When we entered the dining room, we saw other tables being wined and dined like old friends, with gracious service and smiles all around. By contrast, what we got was utilitarian at best. Our server never even greeted us (unless you count "Has anyone helped you?") or took the trouble to explain the specials. There were a couple more brief check-ins, a dessert order, and a long wait for the check. He got the job done, but he lacked the grace and expertise we expect from waiters at fine dining restaurants, and on the whole we got the feeling that we were on the sidelines of a dining experience that the restaurant was focused on making special for other guests.
The food itself lacked any distinction beyond large portion sizes. We ordered at the economical end of the menu, which started just north of $20 a plate. My wife had the eggplant parmigiana, and I had the lasagna. She reported that the eggplant was nicely fried, but she was disappointed that the dish didn't come with pasta, especially since it was listed under the pasta section on the menu. Pasta was one of several sides listed on the menu for a $6 upcharge, but for entrees that are already priced pretty steeply that seems unreasonable.
My lasagna was approximately the size of a brick. (Indeed, both entrees were big enough to provide the better part of a second meal the following day.) But it was otherwise mediocre. The dish was topped by a generous heaping slab of melted mozzarella (they might have left it in for a few more minutes to let it brown and bubble, but that's a minor quibble), the meat stuffed between the pasta layers lacked flavor, and there wasn't much ricotta to be found. The overall effect was a mouthful of pasta and mozzarella, which was underwhelming.
The best dish of the night was the ricotta cheesecake we shared for dessert, which was slightly over-baked but nonetheless showed a deft touch with the sugar and lemon.
I don't think we will return to Scaramella's. There are just too many better fine dining options in the area -- including Piccola in Dobbs Ferry, Mima Vinoteca in Irvington, and L'inizio, which is just around the corner -- that offer better service and stronger dishes at a similar price point. And there are too many family-style Italian restaurants that offer huge portions of flavorful food at cheaper prices (I'm thinking in particular of Capri in Tarrytown). I'm happy to leave Scaramella's to the regulars who seem to enjoy it so much. read more