Restaurant Reviews

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New Chef at Hostaria Mazzei

A new chef is pumping up the fare at the popular Hostaria Mazzei in Port Chester, New York. Domenic Avelluto's roomy and good-looking eatery now features chef Giovanni Sias, who turned tables at Cinque Terre in Manhattan. From Sardinia, chef Sias excels at seafood and dessert. He also has a thing for chickpeas, whether in soups or in hummus with fried calamari. Be sure to try his sformatino, a rich mushroom custard without crust.

The Mazzei team also whisks out layered lasagna filled with scallop ragu, caramelized fennel topped with shredded anchovy, onions and bread crumbs, and first-rate branzino. The Italian sea bass is grilled in the restaurant's wood-fired brick oven that also provides visual pizzazz -- and pizza -- for the dining room. Desserts such as semifreddo and panna cotta are adorned with spun sugar and spin their own allure.

The Journal News | Foodline section
New Tastes at an Area Favorite
By Judith Hausman

A long overdue visit to Hostaria Mazzei began, oddly enough, with a discussion of the lighting. Talking with the captain about the snazzy ceiling lights, I realized they resembled upside-down tabletops, with tablecloths draped to float like jellyfish in motion. Somehow the gracious captain, the sleek, dark wood, copper pots and blue-tiled brick oven, as well as these eye-catching lights, set me up for a dinner with the same style: traditional with a sophisticated twist. Read more


The New York Times | Dining Out
Pasta and Other Italian Fare in Port Chester
By M.H. Reed

"The lovely decor and luxurious roominess distinguishes Hostaria Mazzei from those others. The spiffy interior includes a long undulation polished bar, large dining areas hung with bright and pleasing paintings and some of the prettiest ceiling light fixtures around. Nowhere else in the county can diners have a plate of spaghetti in such a classy atmosphere..."

"...Nicely browned and trimmed lamb chops arrived succulent, as did thick, tender shell steak (done medium-rare as ordered) and chicken, on the bone, flavorful and not a bit dry." 


The Greenwich Times
Southern Italy's Cuisine Updated
By Melanie Barnard

"What separates this menu form the spaghetti-and-meatballs of yesteryear is more authenticity and a bit more daring than most suburban restaurants. In fact, there are no meatballs here at all, though both the pasta and the tomato sauce are freshly made..."

"Cuttlefish may be a new taste for some, but expert baking and the woodsy char of the oven renders the seafood tender. Flavorful fresh mozzarella wrapped in prosciutto is also baked in the wood burning over, melting the cheese and crisping the meat...."

"Hostaria is a pleasurable place to enjoy hearty Italian favorites in contemporary style."


Crain's
Puglia with Suburban Style:
Port Chester's Hostaria Mazzei serves fine seafood, oven-baked dishes.
By Bob Lape

"The Mazzei and Pugliese wood-burning oven hallmark is in the center of the room. From it issue many goodies. Pizzas, but only for lunch. For dinner, I loved the small balls of fresh mozzarella called bocconici, which are wrapped in prosciutto, bathed in a light tomato sauce an baked in the oven. 

Clams and cuttlefish also benefit from a trip to the woodshed, and almost anything that can be baked there does."

"The setting, near major access roads, is handsome. A mahogany bar sweeps one wall near the entrance. The large dining room has clean lines, soft lighting and attractively framed pictures of Mola di Bari. There is ample parking."