Cava Wine Bar & Restaurant
Written by Lorraine Gengo
October 28, 2004 - We could certainly live in a cave without complaining if they all looked like the dining room of Cava Wine Bar & Restaurant... especially one as well-stocked with wine as Cava... The wine bar features a really nice selection of more than 120 wines from Italy and California...
Wine savvy is something brothers Vincente and Kleber Siguenza, natives of Cuenca, Ecuador, undoubtedly developed while managing restaurants such as DaPietro's in Westport, renowned for its wine list, Paci in Southport, Barcelona Restaurant and Wine Bar in South Norwalk and Quattro Pazzi in Fairfield. That these two brothers have impeccable taste is not just apparent in the decor changes to their restaurant. They also hired Scott Eckenrod, formerly the chef at Liana's Trattoria in Fairfield and the aforementioned Paci, to create a menu that places an emphasis on quality seasonal ingredients...
You... must order the harvest of fall vegetables, which is actually a risotto brimming with wild mushrooms, squash, gourd and root vegetables cooked in a reduction of balsamic vinegar.... this rice dish wouldn’t be complete without shaved, aged Reggiano Parmagiana. This dish alone speaks volumes about Eckenrod’s food sensibilities and makes one trust that anything one orders is going to be top quality.
Just as nice in its own way is Cava’s insalata mista, a flavorful array of heirloom tomatoes, sweet, fresh sections orange and goat cheese on a bed of mixed baby greens in an aged balsamic vinaigrette.
Of the three entrees I sampled, my favorite was the tilapia livernaise... I usually avoid fish with any kind of tomato-based sauce, but this sauce was exceptional—made with plum tomatoes, fresh basil, whole roasted garlic cloves and Kalamata olives, and served with a small tangle of spaghetti topped by a confetti of golden, crispy garlic chips. If you can’t get enough garlic, this is your kind of dish.