The "New" Madonia Welcomes You
When the bright green gnocchi is gone, its tender peas scooped up in mint-zucchini pesto; when the golden baked mushrooms, stuffed with broccoli rabe, potato, and pecorino, have been polished off; after the charred skirt steak, seasoned with porcini dust, has been washed down with a big cabernet; when the coffee cups have been cleared and the bill has been paid and dinner has been declared a success, the lasting impression of Madonia Restaurant & Bar is, after all, not the food – which is very good – but the warmth of its old-world hospitality.
Madonia’s welcoming ways start with its location. Situated in a leafy enclave on Long Ridge Road in Stamford, it’s set apart from the bustle of downtown, is easy to reach from the Merritt Parkway, and has a dedicated parking lot. The repurposed building was once a butcher shop; today the space opens on to a cozy bar (just the spot for hot toddies on a cold night), which leads to a gracious dining room, set with white tablecloths. There is a second, equally dressed-up dining area, which is sometimes reserved for special events. In between, on full display, is a glassed-in wine room. Functioning as both a cellar, with bottles neatly resting all around, and a private dining room, it looks like a Renaissance painting, or perhaps a diorama in a museum of natural history. Those of us with our noses against the glass, so to speak, see a tableau vivant of delighted guests at a merry feast – long table laden with glistening stemware, plates of delectable dinners, spoons and candles and laughter – captured in a frame. That scene is one of several sensory snapshots that makes Madonia linger in the mind.
The restaurant’s back-story is charming, and helps explain why diners there feel so very appreciated. Back in the early 1980s, a well-established meat market evolved into a family restaurant called Giovanni’s. That eventually became Giordano’s Italian Steakhouse, a more upscale concept with ownership remaining in the same family. In 2009, a new owner, Enzo Bruno, introduced contemporary Mediterranean dishes to the menu, while giving the physical space a makeover. Madonia was born.
A favorite of locals and travelers alike, Madonia’s success had much to do with the dedication and talents of its long-time staffers, specifically Executive Chef Adam Zuniga, bartender Amine Hoss, and server Jacqueline Ciaraldi. In 2018, when Bruno announced his retirement, it was these three who stepped forward and, with the financial help of a loyal customer, bought the restaurant.
The “new” Madonia has a large menu, stacked with staples of the modern Italian-American restaurant: fried calamari, eggplant rollatini, lobster risotto. And yet, there are plenty of surprises, and an emphasis on high-flavor ingredients, like a honey-herb verjus on the Alaskan salmon, and a roasted pepper chimichurri with a pan-cooked pork steak. There are elevated versions of fan favorites, like a house lasagna made with spinach pasta, lamb ragu, pistachio and mint gremolata, and spaghetti topped with seasoned wild boar. For those who enjoy small-plate dining, there are no fewer than 18 appetizers and salads to choose from, including beef carpaccio and a quinoa spinach salad.
A full dining room on a wintry Tuesday night attests to Madonia’s popularity. It seems that happy regulars pack the place, and why not? The kitchen turns out dishes to please many palettes, and the atmosphere works equally well for date night, family get-togethers, and/or pals meeting for appetizers and wine. One gets the sense that it would take only a few visits to be graciously welcomed back to Madonia, remembered by name, and forever accepted into the fold.
> Madonia Restaurant & Bar: 1297 Long Ridge Rd., Stamford; (203) 322-8870
