55 Degrees Wine Bar & Restaurant
55 Miller St., Fairfield. (203) 256-0099, www.55winebar.com

If the kitchen is the heart of a restaurant, the bar is the pulse. It’s where the scene is, and eating at the bar puts you in the middle of it. Bar stools give good views for people-watching, and if you are an inveterate over-hearer of other people’s conversation (as I am), good eavesdropping, too.

And at the bar you don’t feel the slightest bit guilty about ordering only appetizers. Which is just what we did recently at 55 Degrees. The Italian restaurant, which opened last year in downtown Fairfield, was an instant success, its stone patio drawing the after-work, just off-the-train, drinks-and-dinner crowd. Owners Vicente and Kleber Siguenza, who’ve put in 10 years in Fairfield County’s best-known Italian restaurants, also own Cava in New Canaan. The menu was created by young chef Jacob Hamilton.

Inside, 55 Degrees has an appealing bar area with cappuccino-colored walls, travertine floors and a low coffered ceiling. The bar is dark walnut, as are the two high tables. A brick wall behind the bar adds to the warm atmosphere. Up a flight of stairs is the dining room, with white table cloths and upholstered chairs. A second flight of stairs leads to a private dining room. The restaurant has a clean, spare feeling that makes it feel both intimate and roomy.

Around us, a growing group of women gathered to celebrate a birthday. Three young men discussed business. And a man waiting for his date took one sip of his Magic Hat beer and rejected it. The bartender, co-owner Kleber Siguenza, was quizzical but compliant. He poured the guy a different beer.

We settled in and ordered up. Antipasti and salads range from $7 to $11. The selection of Italian wines by the glass are in the $8 range.

We began with two delicious dishes from the appealing menu. The grilled Montauk squid was tender, large pieces of the body draped in a plate-licking-good sauce of lemon browned butter, fresh rosemary and parsley. Briefly sautéed cherry tomatoes added color and acidity. White beans were scattered on the plate. We applauded the chef for cooking them from scratch, but wished they were more tender; it was a misstep in a really good dish.

Shrimp and “grits” also made us happy. Five large shrimp, grilled and tender, lay on a bed of polenta. Smears of bright green pesto added visual vibrancy. The plate was topped with a light snow of parmegianno.

One of the daily specials was calling my name. Grilled asparagus and prosciutto with poached egg and truffle oil aioli. The poached egg sat in a crisped prosciutto cup. Even though I think crisping prosciutto isn’t a good idea because of the way it over-concentrates the saltiness, this crisp prosciutto contrasted nicely with the soft textures on the plate.

A heaping bowl of mussels was served over a highly flavored white wine broth filled with slivers of garlic and sliced shallots. But there was a disconnect between the broth and the mussels. I wish that they tasted more of the broth; I love it when each mussel shell gives you a taste of briny mussel, winey broth and bits of garlic and shallot.

At the start of the meal, warm bread is served. That’s always a nice touch, but this bread is bland. It was enlivened by dipping it into the peppery green olive oil. The focaccia topped with onion had a gloppy uncooked dough beneath the caramelized onions.

At lunch, we tried the housemade linguine with clam sauce. The fresh pasta was more on the order of angel hair than a substantial linguine, but I loved how fresh, tender and light it was. Ten little neck clams in their shells sat on top of the pasta. These tender morsels tasted sweetly of the sea. The dish was flecked with fresh parsley, red pepper flakes and slivers of browned garlic and shallots. But much like the mussel dish, there was a disconnect between the shellfish and the sauce. This sauce tasted of uncooked wine, and there was very little clam flavor. It was a shame, because the dish had all the right components. A drizzle of the olive oil from the carafe helped mute the taste of raw wine.  

The steak panini cried out for condiments.

After our dinner of antipasto, we had the molten chocolate cake, and we enjoyed it. The slightly crispy exterior, smelling of cocoa, gave way to an ooze of chocolate. Being fans of digestivos, after dinner we also tried two of the grappas. The Banfi was raisiny and exploded in the mouth. The Aquavit grappa was sweeter and more mild.

55 Degrees as all the right ingredients: great location, attractive atmosphere, good people-watching, a delicious-sounding menu, wonderful smells coming from the kitchen, and dishes with good components. They do a lot of things well, which makes the misfires puzzling.