Made a trip to Little Italy on a whim to try this place out, and I'm super glad we did. The old Baricelli Inn has been completely remodeled, and the surroundings are beautiful. The drink/wine list is great...and the food was delicious.
We started with the oxtail pierogi. I have to be honest, I would never have ordered something with the word "oxtail" in it, but I'm so very glad we tried them. The horseradish creme fraiche added a wonderful little something to the oxtail and mushroom ragout.
Next up was a seasonal offering - a twist on a caprese salad with local heirloom tomatoes and a white balsamic vinagrette. The server had the kitchen split it on two plates after we were discussing sharing it...a good move as it would have been quite large on its own. It drew some attention as several incoming diners stopped at our table to comment on how lovely the salad looked, and I must say that I could have eaten three more plates of it! :)
For an entree, I chose the pot roast and my partner in crime picked the strip steak. Both were perfectly cooked...the strip was seasoned just right and the pot roast was fall-apart tender. We were both very happy with our selections.
While the glazed donut bread pudding (made with donuts from the local Presti's bakery) sounded so amazing - and has had rave reviews - we opted to skip dessert and stop by Presti's for a cannoli instead.
I'm kind of sad that I don't live closer, or this would become a regular spot for me...but we definitely plan to go there again!