Chef ’s chops elevate Pastina in Delmar
Mike Pietrocola's latest venture, relocated from Albany, is simple, direct, spot-on
Pastina doesn’t need a review. The locals in Delmar have already found it, and it’s busy every night. The menu is a slim collection of Italian classics — piccatas and Parms — with elements familiar to fans of chef-owner Mike Pietrocola’s food. (His 40-year career most recently spans head-chef roles at Cornells in Little Italy, Mohawk Country Club and Maestro’s at the McGregor.)
Pastina’s accessible wine list features some smashing options by the glass including barolo, nebbiolo and vermentino, along with crowd-pleasing California cabs and chardonnays. Pastina has seamlessly taken over the turnkey space kitted out beautifully by the former tenant, Twisted Vine Wine & Tap. Its rustic charm and large bar are perfect for this Four Corners location with a patio in the front and parking out back. Other than upgrades to the kitchen, the only thing added to the dining room are the tablecloths, Pietrocola said with a laugh.
The chef sounds happy when I catch him by phone. He opened Pastina on the heels of the pandemic in a 20-seat, noliquor-license space on Colvin Avenue in Albany when industry rents were impacted enough to make it affordable to strike out on his own. When Twisted Tap became available, he had built up a following, and though the move meant hiring on staff and increased overhead costs, the gamble quickly paid off. Hearing him tally the volume of wine he moves each week makes it clear that his first wine list, put together with the assistance of friend and former 677 Prime sommelier Seaborn Jones has hit the sweet spot. But Pietrocola is doing things on his terms, opening for dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday, leaving room for life the rest of the week. Pastina’s social media is limited to Facebook. Reservations are taken only by phone and when they’re closed, they’re closed.
In Italian, the name Pastina refers to little pasta shapes that you’ll find in the broth of a chicken soup. Beyond that, the half-dozen pasta dishes are a mix of imported dry and fresh Italian pastas, cooked al dente. Unlike most ItalianAmerican restaurants, pastas accompanying entrees wear the sauce of the dish, rather than a red sauce. It’s simple, which is also my overarching takeaway of a dinner with no flaws. Where many Italian eateries boost the salt or sugar in sauces, everything here is light and bright, flavors given room to shine. A subtle sweetness in the calamari’s tomato-based sauce comes from currants — yes, dried black currants — plumped from a spin in hot oil. They burst unexpectedly on the tongue, working with the acidity of the tomatoes and whisper of chile heat. The calamari is treated the way it would be in Italy — gently, simply and perfectly tender. This is an absolutely smashing dish.
With four decades to draw on, Pietrocola can reference recipes from vast experience. His red sauce — only tomatoes, garlic and salt — was shown to him at Mohawk Country Club by some visiting Italian chefs. The idea for the sauce with the calamari comes from his days at Cornells. Somehow I associate agrodolce with Pietrocola and two other local chefs, Danny Urschel and Danny Petrosino, who have shared in the merry-goround of local restaurants. I try to pin it down to his days at the Executive Lounge in Schenectady. He takes me to task and says agrodolce was a trend of the ’90s, not the ’80s. I’m a few years off.
That agrodolce is drizzled on crispy Brussels sprouts perfectly bronzed in a hot pan and tossed with Romano cheese. Meatballs are springy and almost faithful to his grandmother’s recipe, with dry breadcrumbs and a splash of milk, but they’ve recently been adjusted to all beef rather than a blend, and they’re topped with mozzarella and ricotta, adding richness to the tomato sauce.
A regular appetizer of polenta with roasted mushrooms on the night I’m there is available as a special with braised beef, a hearty winter dish we demolish, savoring the silky sauce. Local Edelweiss veal is prevalent on the menu in piccata form and as a chop three ways: pan roasted, lightly breaded Parmigiana with mozzarella cheese or Milanese with vin cotta. We share the scallopini-style piccata, tender strip loins bathed in caper and lemon sauce jostling tender artichoke hearts, and basting the penne pasta, getting the sauce up more effectively than any fork.
We were given Italian bread with a large pat of butter at the start of the meal when our wines were first brought. And though desserts are largely bought from an outside bakery, the cinnamonscented cannoli shells come from an Italian bakery in Kingston and are filled to order in house. It’s a perfect simple end, crisp and lightly sweet, to a perfect, simple meal. Without apology, Pietrocola isn’t overcomplicating his menu. He knows his way effortlessly around Italian sauces and dishes, but staffing is still a challenge (he was without a dishwasher one week) so he’s designed Pastina’s menu around those he can make to order with efficient prep ahead. Pastina is casual and unstuffy in service and neighborly mood, and just as busy on Wednesday as Saturday. To be sure of a table, make a reservation, but note that tables are limited to two-hour dining time.