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The town of Old Saybrook has welcomed one of the few truly authentic Italian restaurants on the Shoreline. Tiberio’s Restaurant specializes in “contemporary Italian cuisine” -- meaning you’ll find a lot more than the traditional Italian fare on the menu. Chef and owner, Antonio Barbi, was born and raised in Italy. At the age of eight he began working in the restaurant business by delivering espresso to the merchants in the open-air market of his neighborhood in Portici, Naples. There he worked for six years, in the pastry shop and learning basic cooking skills. When he was fourteen he attended culinary school in Amalfi and spent the following two years apprenticing at five-star hotels in Maiori and Capri. Antonio spent the next few years gaining experience in Italy, England, Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and Bermuda. He returned to the Netherlands after being offered a job as head chef of the new Italian restaurant, “La Gondola”. It was here that the Italian consul discovered his extraordinary talent and hired him as their ambassador to the Netherlands of Italian culture and cuisine, and for 15 consecutive years Antonio taught a successful five week cooking and culture course to a class of about 30 people. During this time Antonio and a partner of the same name started their own restaurant in Rotterdam, called, “Due Tonino”. Both “La Gondola” and “Due Tonino” were award-winning restaurants under his expertise. Twelve years later Antonio moved to Connecticut and opened Tiberio's restaurant (which is named after the chef’s father). The restaurant itself is elegant, yet cozy, with a warm atmosphere, and special attention is given directly to the patrons by Antonio himself, or his wife, April. The staff is experienced and professional, with a talented and promising sous-chef under Antonio’s training. Some of the most popular dishes are the “insalata di spinace e pancetta”, which is a baby spinach salad with caramelized onions and grilled goat cheese wrapped in crispy Italian bacon. And the “uccelletti cacciatore” -- veal scallopina rolled and filled with sun-dried tomatoes, pinoli nuts, gorgonzola and Parma ham in a sauce of grape tomatoes, Portobello mushrooms and garlic. As for how it tastes, well, you’ll have to visit it yourself to decide whether or not you agree with many of the customers: that it’s the “best restaurant ever to hit Connecticut’s Shoreline”. Often overlooked in its inconspicuous spot in the corner of the Action Sports center on Rt. 1, Tiberio’s is considered by a lot of folks to be a little treasure they’ve discovered. As one satisfied customer and retired food writer put it, “You don’t have to go all the way to Fairfield anymore to find a good Italian restaurant!” |
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