A Tavola: An Expanded Restaurant & Delicious Dinner

If you live north of Boston, you don't need to travel to the North End for compelling Italian cuisine. Chef/Owner Joe Carli recently expanded the size of A Tavola, his excellent Italian restaurant in Winchester, and one of my Top Three Favorite Restaurants. On my last visit for dinner, I got to check out the new space, as well as enjoy another delicious meal. 

The entrance to the restaurant has been shifted to the new section, and you can see a couple of the new tables in that space. I'll also note that the outside patio seems to have expanded a bit as well, and was busy on the night of my visit.

On the right wall of the new space, there are more dining tables, expanding the seating capacity of the restaurant. 

There's also a new bar in this space, which has a special wine bar menu as well. A cool place to stop by for a cocktail or glass of wine while enjoying a few appetizers. 

The main dining room is slightly different, with the removal of the hostess station, and the addition of a wine refrigerator. 

The chef's counter seats are still there, where you can sit in front of the kitchen and watch all of the culinary action. The new space is a welcome addition, especially the small bar, and now A Tavola can accommodate even more diners. However, despite the expansion, it still possesses an intimate and welcoming vibe.

We began the dinner, opting for a Grinta Spritz ($17), a different take on an Aperol Spritz, which is made with Grinta Amaro, lemon, and Prosecco. Grinta is a bitter Italian liqueur, made from Genepy, Rhubarb, Juniper, Gentianella, Gentian, Yarrow, Peppermint, Quassium and Chamomile. It was a tasty cocktail, refreshing and possessing a complex and intriguing taste.

We also selected a bottle of 2019 Palladino Nebbiolo d'Alba ($67), a bold wine, with complex and delicious notes of black fruits, roses, and earthiness. Moderate tannins, good acidity, and a lengthy finish. A fine choice.

A Special for the night were the Crispy Duck Wings, with a touch of Chef David's barbecue sauce, and accompanied by fried okra. A Tavola occasionally has these Duck Wings as a special, and I've been a fan of them since 2020. If they're available, I always order them because they are so delicious. on my current visit, they possessed a tasty crispy skin atop moist, tender and flavorful meat. The judicious application of the barbecue sauce was a nice addition, adding a touch of spice and smokiness. Highly recommended!

A Tavola often offers seasonal flatbreads as appetizers. The Corn Flatbread ($17) was made with grilled corn, scallions, mozzarella, queso fresco, and parmesan. The crispy, thin crust made a fine vehicle for the sweet and slightly smoky corn, with the addition of the salty cheeses. Definitely a fine summer dish. 

The Smoky Mozzarella Sticks ($18), were large cubes that were crispy fried and hickory & applewood smoked, sitting atop a basil pesto. A nice crunchy coating with plenty of gooey, and smoky cheese inside, all enhanced by the flavorful pesto sauce. 

For entrees, one of our choices was the Swordfish ($33), made with Italian Romano Beans, Vidalia onions, and a N'duja Sugo. The swordfish, which came from the Rocky Neck Fish Company, was moist and tender, cooked perfectly. The beans, onions and n'duja combined to create an interesting and tasty, lightly sweet and bold & spicy background for the swordfish. An excellent entree choice. 

We also had the Porcini Campanelle ($29), although unfortunately I failed to take a photo of it. It was made with grilled Kimball Fruit Farm sweet corn, oregano, toasted sourdough breadcrumbs, and whipped burrata. It was an ample and scrumptious pasta dish, and I've long said that Chef Carli is a wizard with pasta. The campanelle, which were a nice al dente, had an earthy touch to them from the mushrooms. The breadcrumbs added a nice crunchiness to the dish, the corn added sweetness, and the burrata a creamy touch. A well-balanced dish, I made to sure to finish the entire plate, and loved every forkful. Highly recommended!

During dessert, I went for the Barrel Aged Negroni ($17), made with Citadelle Gin, Campari, dry Vermouth, and Cointreau. A Tavola has three other barrel-aged cocktails too, including the Tequila Manhattan, Boulevardier, and Little Italy. The Negroni was intense, with a nice blend of bitter and herbal notes. A fine sipping cocktail, for enjoying after dinner. 

For Dessert, I ordered the Chocolate Chip Cookies, a dozen, which I've previously reviewed and enjoyed. You won't be able to eat all of them after dinner, but you just take the leftover cookies home and enjoy them later. Always a good choice.

A Special dessert was the Lemon Tart, with about three different lemon elements, and bursting with bright lemony flavors, combined with creamy and crunchy aspects. For any lemon lover, this is a perfect treat. 

As always, I highly recommend you dine at A Tavola and enjoy their excellent Italian cuisine, wines, and cocktails. With their expansion, even more people can dine there, but it remains a more intimate locale. Chef Joe Carli and David Paige won't let you down!