Applausi, 11/15/05

My parents had been begging us to come out to Old Greenwich to see them. Its hard with our weekends away and our late hours during the week, but my mom had essentially put her foot down, so JB and I dutifully boarded the train and headed to the land of suburbia.

My dad greeted us in his new Mini. Boy is that car small, but awesome. Especially awesome because my mom won it for him at a charity event. That $25 raffle ticket is probably the best return she’s ever gotten on her investment.

After spending some time at the house and opening a few wedding gifts, we headed up the road to Applausi. If you’ve never been to Old Greenwich, it’s a small town. One main road with a few restaurants and shops. Everyone knows everyone. So sitting in the window at Applausi I thought we were doomed to never catch our return train home, but luckily my mom only knew the people at two tables.

The setting is pleasant and the waiters congenial. The food is Italian, in a fancy way. Home-made pastas are in the low $20s and entrees are in the $22 - $34 range.

The bread was the best part. Crusty Italian and focaccia with delicious olive oil.

We moved on to salads, a mixed and a Caesar, which were both ordinary.

We all had pasta for dinner. Sadly, I was the loser of the evening. I chose a fusilli with pesto and shrimp. The shrimp was small but tasted fine. The pesto sauce did not. Way too creamy, and since when is there cream in pesto sauce? I ate some but not all. JB and my mom had ravioli, my mom’s plain and JB’s with lobster and crab. I tasted my mom’s and found the ravioli hard and almost cheese-less. My dad quietly consumed is spaghetti with shellfish. I think he won.

We didn’t have time for dessert because we had to make the train, but I think I would have passed. My parents come here often, I don’t think the place is bad, I just think we did not order right. Next time I’m staying away from the pasta.

Until we eat again, KLB