Ristorante Serena: First Impressions

Winchester has recently seen the openings of several new restaurants, from Thai to Ramen. One of the newest spots, which just opened in January, is Ristorante Serena, an Italian restaurant which was previously located in Maplewood Square in Malden. It now occupies the spot of the former Mitho Restaurant. 

Ristorante Serena was originally opened in 2006 by Chef Giovanni Longo, who was born in Crotone, Italy, and came to the U.S. in 1996. Chef Longo had studied cooking in Italy and when he came to the U.S., he worked as an executive chef at Ristorante “Il Faro” in Medford Square. In 2006, he decided to open his own restaurant, which he named after his daughter, Serena. I had dined at the Malden location several times, enjoying my experiences, but I hadn't been there in several years so I was curious about its new location.   

As you step inside the restaurant, there's a small bar, and I'll note they have a full liquor license. 

The main dining area is in the back, and it has an intimate feel. The restaurant is open for both lunch and dinner, and I recently stopped by for lunch. I like the fact they are open for lunch as some of my favorite Italian spots are only open for dinner, and sometimes you just want Italian for lunch. 

The Lunch Menu has plenty of options, including 6 Appetizers ($11-$19), such as Tuna Tartar and Calamari Fritti; 4 Bowls/Salads ($12-$16), such as Insalata Calabrese and Farro Bowl; 2 Soups ($12), such as Pasta e Fagoili; 6 Sandwiches ($14-$19), such as a Burger, Chicken Parmesan, and Meatball; and 11 Entrees ($20-$34), such as Chicken Parmesan, Salmone alla Griglia, and Lasagna. The Dinner menu is expanded, with plenty additional options, especially with Entrees. 

We decided to begin our lunch by splitting one of the Entrees as our appetizer. The Covatelli Al Ragu ($22), consists of "Fresh made covatelli pasta with Bolognese sauce, topped with whipped ricotta cheese." They make some homemade pasta, such as ravioli, tortellini and lasagna, but they also have some dry pasta, like their penne. The covatelli were firm and tender, and the Bolognese sauce was flavorful and hearty, enhanced by the creamy ricotta. Quite delicious and I'd definitely order this dish again. 

The Eggplant Parmigiana ($20) consists of "Eggplant cutlets with Marinara sauce topped with Mozzarella & Parmigiano cheese served with penne." My dining companion loves eggplant and was quite impressed with this amply sized dish. The eggplant was tender and flavorful, enhanced by the marinara sauce. 

I opted for the Chicken Saltimbocca ($24) which is "Stuffed with ham & mozzarella cheese, sautéed in a Sherry wine sauce over linguini pasta." There were two good-sized pieces of chicken, stuffed with plenty of ham and cheese, and the chicken was tender and tasty. I very much enjoyed the wine sauce and the linguine was cooked nicely al dente. 

Service was excellent and, overall, I was very pleased with the restaurant. The food is as good as I remember, and it makes for a great choice for lunch. Prices are reasonable, especially considering the size and quality of the dishes. I'll be returning here and recommend my readers check it out as well.