Story and photos by Anmarie Galowski
Raffaele Gallo proudly opened the doors to his long awaited Ristorante Gallo Saturday night to a standing room only gathering of family and friends. Located at 5 Grove Street on the former site of the East Ridge Cafe, the overwhelming consensus from the crowd was pure joy. "It's like coming home again," Travis Galowski remarked.
Raffaele, former owner of Toscana Restaurant in Ridgefield, has been in the restaurant business for 25 years. "It looks like he's taken everything he's learned over the years and put it into Gallo," said John Maher of Ridgefield who was there with his wife Maureen.
Susan Dumont-Bengston and her husband John were charmed with what they saw. "I think the restaurant has an urban feel. The food is quintessential everyday Italian cuisine, but with a Raffaele flair," noted Susan. "It feels like a place we'll want to come to time and time again."
John Doyle and Peter Coffin of Doyle Coffin Architecture designed Gallo to offer customers a fine dining experience, open bar space, two separate outdoor patio areas and a private function room upstairs. The choice of natural materials create a very comfortable, yet upscale feel. The bar is spacious and beautiful, and the warmer months will allow patrons the opportunity to dine outdoors while watching the world drive by.
"This feels like it has the potential to become a real town gathering place," added Maureen Maher. "The ambiance is warm, the decor is modern and tasteful, and the atmosphere is so welcoming," she continued.
Oh, and the food? Gallo offers the finest selection of meats, cheeses and seafood as starters, antipastas, homemade pizza, in-house pastas, organic and antibiotic-free meats and fish. Gluten free options are also available. To view the full menu, please press here.
"Our chefs come in at 5am to turn hand-ground flour and farm fresh eggs into the pizza and pasta you'll eat tonight. So whether you're here to spend hours in our dining room or just stopping by for a quick bite at the bar, eat well and live long, time is on your side," Gallo says.
If the crowd on opening night is any indication of what the future holds for Gallo, we are witness to an amazing success story in the making.
To learn more about Gallo please visit their website at www.galloridgefield.com. To make a reservation, please call: 203-431-7726.