Small Bites

Celebrity chef Rick Laakonen is no longer at the helm of Antipasti, the hip Italian restaurant in White Plains. Taking his place is Robert Ribant, who comes to Westchester from Michael’s, the famous power-lunch restaurant in Manhattan. (This bodes well for the White Plains lunch scene!)

Owner Mark Mazzotta told me that with the new chef, the restaurant has a new dinner menu with more traditional entrees. Antipasti had been closed for lunch, but will re-open Dec. 3 with an affordable menu of pizzette, pastas and panini. Antipasti’s more innovative dishes will still be available, but as specials. The antipasti bar and the lounge menu are also still available.

“We still want to be unique and innovative and cutting edge, but our patrosn are asking for more traditional stuff,” he told me. So now, dishes such as veal saltimbocca and chicken scarpiello are the norm — but, Mazzotta says, “with a creative, modern approach.” For example, the veal saltimbocca comes with broken spaghetti, cicerchie beans and wild rice. “It’s like a fancy way of doing Rice-A-Roni,” says Mazzotta.

Chef Ribant started his career in Detroit and came to New York in 1993. He worked at the River Cafe in Brooklyn (as did Laakonen); the Hudson River Club; Windows on the World and Russian Firebird. He was executive chef at Michael’s for almost 10 years.

The 411 on Antipasti. (This listing will show these updates in a few  hours.) I have a call in to Laakkonen to see where he’s headed.

The new dinner menu, after the jump.
APPETIZERS

Barley Soup – Swiss chard, cannellini beans and Grana Padano cheese                                      8-

Cheese Tortellini – Goat cheese, chicken, goat filled tortellini in brodetto with arugula      10-

Fritto Misto – Crispy calamari, filet of sole,       celery with saffron-tomato aioli                   19-

Ragu of Grilled Polpo & Clams –                  Cannellini beans, saffron grattoni in tomato-lemon thyme broth                                                   16-

Chilean Sea Bass – Spiedini of sea bass with roasted fennel, 12 year balsamic vinegar       19-

INSALATA

Insalata Della Casa – Herb  vinaigrette      9-

Caesar Salad – Hearts of romaine,                      garlic croutons, shaved Grana Padano              10-

Tre–Colore Salad – Arugula, cicoria, radicchio, hard cooked egg,  warm prosciutto dressing       12-

Insalata Caprese – Vine ripe tomatoes,                 house made mozzarella drizzled with                 Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil                          14-

Chopped Salad – Baby Field greens,       asparagus, radish, bell peppers, red onion,  gorgonzola with herb vinaigrette dressing         11-

Salad Compliments -8

Grilled Chicken Breast

Grilled Jumbo Shrimp

Grilled Calamari

PRIMI

Rigatoni Pomodoro – Artichoke, olives, arugula, smoked mozzarella in a light tomato broth           16-

Parpardelle Bolognese – Meat and tomato ragù, pork, veal and fennel sausage                                21-

Ravioli of Short Rib – Ricotta, spinach,            porcini mushroom and tomato                                17-

Fusilli Col Bucco – Clams, leeks, potatoes               and pancetta                                                          17-

Spaghetti – Sunday style ragù with meatballs, sausage and braciole                                               19-

Perciatelle alla Amatriciana – Guanciale,          onion and tomato                                                   17-

Lasagna – Roasted tomato, ricotta, mozzarella        with fresh basil                                                      18-

Whole Wheat Tagliatelle – Speck, radicchio trevisano, Piave di Vecchio emulsion,
Truffle oil drizzle                                                 19-

Garganelli – Hot fennel sausage, broccoli rabe, roasted tomato, prosciutto brodo                           19-

Add meatballs, sausage and braciole to any pasta   9-

PIZZETTA    15-

Margherita D.O.P – San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, shaved Reggiano, fresh basil

Quattro Stagioni – Zucchini, portobello mushrooms, artichoke, olives

Parma – Prosciutto di Parma, caramelized onion, roasted garlic, local goat cheese, rosemary

Pesto – Arugula/basil pesto, sautéed mushrooms, Marsala wine, fresh ricotta & minced tomato

PIATTO               DEL GIORNO

Lunedí

Brasato of Beef –Carrots, leeks, celery, portobello mushroom                     25-

Martedí

Lamb Chop – Creamy polenta brussel sprouts, celery root, lamb jus      27-

Mercoledí

Risotto – Braised boneless beef short rib, rucola, radicchio, gorgonzola     26-

Giovedí

Chicken Cacciatore –           Free range chicken,
mushroom, onions, peppers, plum tomato                    22-

Venerdí
Scampi – Gulf shrimp, zucchini, tomato over
whole wheat spaghetti    29-

Sabato

Osso Buco Milanese –
Saffron Risotto               34-

SECONDI

Veal Saltimbocca – Spinach, cicerchie beans, wild
red rice, broken spaghetti, mushrooms, Marsala wine     29-

Zuppa di Pesce –shrimp, scallops, mussels,
clams, calamari with saffron fregola and tomato             34-

Grilled Branzino alla Livornese – Roast Savoy, cabbage,
romanesco cauliflower, capers, olives, celery, tomato      26-

Roast Chicken – Spinach, crespelle, with
prosciutto cotto and crucolo cheese, tomato jus                22-

Chicken Scarpariello – luganica sausage,
peppers, potatoes, tomato, and escarole                           23-

Pesce Acqua Pazzo – Fresh market fish in
brodetto with cherry tomato, zucchini, fagioli,
winter squash & orzo pasta                        P/A

New York Strip Steak – Zucchini, crispy
potato bed, pesto Genovese                                               35-

CONTORNI

Italian Style Fries – Dusted with
Sicilian Incanestrato                                         6-

Cucuzza – Snake squash, plum tomato,
potato, mozzarella, egg                                    7-

Charred Broccoli – Broccoli fritta,
roasted garlic                                                   7-

Pizzicchi – Porcini, pancetta, Fava beans     9-

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