You’ll notice the curb appeal first: orange awnings with elegant script, a dark wood door, and windows with etched glass. Inside, waiters in tuxes move among the reptilian, brown leather booths, heavy golden curtains, and amber pincushion walls framed by matching marbled-glass lanterns. It’s a contrast to the bright and cheery yellow-and-white plates, linens, and fabrics.
Owner Ken LaSala opened his upscale Italian-Adriatic restaurant more than four years ago, creating a relaxing, elegant ambience. The full-service bar is topped with granite, surrounded by at least eight comfortable black leather stools with backrests.
You can order clams three ways: oregano, casino, or Posillipo. Another trio that funghi fans can savor is the antipasti with shiitake, portobello, and oyster mushrooms, sautéed with olive oil, garlic, herbs, and served on smoked mozzarella. The spinach-and-egg soup in chicken broth sounds soothing, as does the risotto with mixed seafood. Hearts of palm sweeten an organic salad with steamed asparagus.
When it comes to pasta, the house-made tagliatelle in pesto with sundried tomatoes and shrimp and the house-made black-and-white lobster-stuffed ravioli in lobster sauce are standouts. The plentiful proteins include pork, steak, salmon and tilapia, as well as six versions of veal and six incarnations of chicken breast. In one chicken entrée, the breast is pounded thin, rolled and packed with prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, and sautéed in a light brown sauce with mushrooms.
115 Wolfs Ln, Pelham (914) 738-3008
www.lafontanellapelham.com