Wendy Logan photo

Pollo con Funghi – deep-brown and savory white

 Morello Bistro
253 Greenwich Ave., Greenwich. (203) 661-3443
www.morellobistro.com

The last time I heard the words "Greenwich" and "reasonable" in the same sentence was never. So imagine my surprise to discover Morello Bistro, where a chef whose credits include some of Philadelphia's most respected dining scene stars and New York City's ultra high-end A Voce has reinvented a formerly high-priced Greenwich Avenue restaurant.

The result is top-notch cuisine that's far more palatable — at least for your wallet. Diners may remember the two-level space (formerly Gaia) for its soaring, vaulted ceilings, which give it a rather regal feel, but, in its new incarnation as Morello, the absence of tablecloths and the exceptionally down-to-earth staff temper the elegance just enough to make you feel comfortable. The menu does the rest. Toto, I don't think we're in Greenwich anymore.

We start with some fried artichokes in a Bagna Cauda sauce ($9) and clams Oreganato ($8) and munch on the crispy, lightly cheesy breadsticks and the focaccia bread studded lightly with sundried tomatoes. Both are house-made and it shows. The fresh, quartered baby artichokes are breaded in a tempura-like batter and served with sweet red onion that plays well off the smoky, slightly spicy garlic and anchovy sauce. The clams are clearly fresh, the brine playing well off the toasty breadcrumb and prosciutto topping.

We freshen our palates with a roasted beet salad dotted with toasted hazelnuts, mint and ricotta cheese ($12). While the cool mint does the trick to some degree, we find the beets just a touch too soft and, paired with the buttery fresh ricotta and rich nuts, in need of more acid/citrus.

To accompany our first courses, we order a glass of 2006 Verdicchio Trebbiano ($8), a fresh, citrusy white. Morello's encyclopedic, Italian-focused wine list offers as many as 600 selections, more than half of which are priced under $95 and many well below that, with options by the glass priced between $7 and $14.

All pasta dishes at Morello are offered as appetizers or entrees, with prices noted for both. For a mid-course, we share some feather-light, homemade gnocchi ($13/$18). The tiny pillows are bathed lightly in butter and served with fresh spring peas, lima beans, a smattering of micro-greens, Moliterno cheese and salty squares of speck, a distinctly flavored ham from the region that borders Austria and Italy. The presentation of red, green and white is a veritable homage to Italy, but the flavor is nothing short of celestial.

Spaghetti carbonara ($15/20) arrives topped with an organic whole egg yolk. The creamy dish is rife with sharp Parmigiano Reggiano but lacking in sufficient flecks of its other classic ingredient: pancetta. The richness is overpowering.

Finally, we order the pollo con funghi ($24): deep-brown and savory white- and dark-meat chicken stuffed under the skin with Fontina cheese and topped with a mixture of mushrooms, calamata olives and sweet, oven-roasted tomatoes. The chicken is served atop a bed of smooth, buttery polenta and overall is a beautifully balanced and flavorful dish.

After stuffing ourselves silly, we reason that one of the truest tests for an Italian menu comes from sampling one final classic, and so we decide to lift ourselves up with tiramisu. The mocha-tinged, light and soft, coffee-soaked cake and mascarpone "mousse" comes layered in a glass with spoons that are perfect for shoveling and scraping the creamy confection from the depths of the glass. We wash it down with a 2007 Moscato d'Asti ($7). While the entire dessert was blissful, next time I might also be tempted to finish with some of the beckoning Italian cheeses from the cheese station at the back of the restaurant.

So If you're stranded in Greenwich without an American Express Black Card, take heart. Click your heels three times and say, "There's no place like Morello."