Review - Trattoria Branica

Formal Italian returns to a familiar Frontenac location

By Dave Lowry

Aside from that speeding ticket we got on Clayton Road, going to—get this—a funeral, we’ve rarely had a bad time in Frontenac. It’s pleasant and quiet, with nice wide roads (hence our speeding). But few eateries there, though they tend to be good and often lavish, really sparkle. That’s why we were delighted to hear of Trattoria Branica, which opened about a year ago in the Chateau Village, across from Plaza Frontenac (speed limit 40 mph). The space, vacated after the demise of another restaurant, has been extensively remodeled. The interior is formal, Italianate with lush floral arrangements. Some tables are quite close together, but the space is well used and the ambience is both posh and romantic. This is the kind of place you’d take a first date you wanted to impress, or your parents for their anniversary, or a spouse to begin making amends for that “unfortunate but quite insignificant really and it’ll never happen again” indiscretion.

Our waiter graciously steered us away from a salad of mozzarella, tomato and eggplant slices because, he said, the day’s shipment of tomatoes was substandard ($5.75). (When we whined about really being in the mood for fresh mozzarella, a trio of fresh mozzarella slices appeared with our main courses. One needs little more than simple touches such as this one to evaluate a restaurant.)

We were more than satisfied with the well-dressed Caesar salad topped with rosemary-scented croutons ($4.95). We were excited to see tarator, the Bulgarian soup, listed on the menu as an accompaniment to the fried-squid appetizer; alas, it was a typo. But the tartar sauce, creamy and garlicky, matched the light, crispy rings of squid nicely ($6.50). If you’re going with pasta as a main course, try the antipasto misto, a generous platter of cold cuts that’s a splendid starter of satisfying protein. Slices of crunchy crostini are the perfect addition to the carpaccio appetizer, slices of beef sprinkled with flaky Parmesan, capers and slivers of onion ($7.50).

Not only does risotto give a certain meaning to life, but our wont, if we have only a single choice, is to judge an Italian restaurant on its execution of the dish. Although Branica’s menu pinballs all over Italy, it offers only one risotto. It is, however, almost imperative that you try it. The rice is besotted on a rich broth, soft and pearled and excellent on its own, and the array of seafood tossed with the risotto is extravagant—whopping chunky scallops, shrimp, mussels, even flakes of salmon stud the dish. The aroma wafting off the deep platter is hypnotic; the taste is even better ($12.50).

The pasta offerings are worthwhile. Ravioli are plumped with crab meat in a sherry-and shrimp sauce ($11.95). Tubes of cannelloni, bulging with a stuffing of seafood, are baked with a lustrous lemon cream sauce; the same pasta is presented with a ground beef stuffing and a combination of red and cream sauces (both $11.95). The Bolognese sauce here is not as chunky with meat as some might prefer, but the combination of tomatoes, beef and Italian sausage, authentic and worthwhile, is served over linguini that does a better job of holding the sauce than the more traditional spaghetti ($9.95).

Fine slices of shiitake work surprisingly well in an otherwise traditional treatment of veal scallopine sautŽed and lathered with a light, just puckery lemon sauce ($16.95). Modena, the city that gave us Pavarotti, Maserati and the guy who wrote “Rape of the Bucket,” arguably the worst poem in Western literature, is also justly famous for its cuisine, including simple preparations of some of the best meat in Italy. Here, cutlets of veal are pan-fried in the best simple Modenese style, the edges crispy, the interior rosy and meltingly tender ($17.95). Arguing about the exact origin of the humble pizzaiola sauce is practically a cottage industry in Campania; for the rest of us, it’s enough to enjoy this concoction of onions, tomatoes, Romano cheese and a healthy dash of oregano. Branica’s pizzaiola is authentic and put to good use, slathered over a 10-ounce ribeye, sautéed and finished in the oven. ($19.95). The image the word “Sorrentino” conjures is one of a marinara sauce so indelicate that it overwhelms the meat, but Branica’s version is exceptional. Chicken is sautéed in a very light Sorrentino tomato sauce and layered with slices of eggplant and glossy melted mozzarella ($15.95).

Only four seafood dishes are offered, which is something of a surprise. Although the lemon-butter sauce overwhelms a big platter of otherwise beautifully grilled shrimp ($17.95), the best bet is the tilapia, given an herby breading, then grilled ($17.95).

A decent wine list is loaded with powerful, lusty Cabernet Sauvignons that go well with the menu. If you’re looking for something a little more regionally appropriate, consider an oft overlooked Piedmont, a Pinot Noir type of light dry red, the Dolcetto d’Alba 2000 ($30). A Sauvignon Blanc, Sicilian Family Reserve ’03, is a savvy buy ($28). The Antinori family started blending Cabernet Sauvignon grapes with native Italian Sangiovese fruit in 1385, so they’ve had a little time to get the process down. Their Toscana Antinori ’sired ($4.95) and an intensely chocolatey tartufo that did not have time to melt before it was enjoyed by the entire table ($4.50).

The atmosphere here is gracefully romantic. On weekends, a pianist and a violinist perform in the small bar near the entrance. And if you’re just skimming this review—we’ve warned you about that before—take another look at the prices. Trattoria Branica is one of the best bargains in formal Italian dining in the region. The location is convenient; parking is not a problem. Just watch your speed getting there..

TRATTORIA BRANICA

ADDRESS: 10411 Clayton, Frontenac, 314-432-8585, www.saucemagazine.com/trattoriabranica

AVERAGE DINNER COURSE: $16

RESERVATIONS: Si—and on fine settimana, si certamente.

DRESS: Church clothes—and not those worn in the kind of church where they use guitars

BOTTOM LINE: A polished setting for some outstanding Italian favorites in the genteel suburbs