Restaurant Review: Italiano Magnifico

Chesterfield in Utica-Authentic, Inviting, and Delicious 

This past weekend, Colgate University hosted Hillary Clinton as the keynote speaker for family weekend.  With many families coming into Hamilton, the restaurants near and in town can get quite busy.  After touring the Hamilton Farmer's Market and an art exhibit at Colgate, my family and I decided to travel to Utica to get out of the (for once) hectic and populous Hamilton center.  We spent the day exploring shops in the mall of New Hartford, and once dinner time rolled around, we were more than ready for something tasty.  I named a few places that I thought were family-friendly, and we ultimately decided on a favorite that was suggested by my classmate, Jessica Staley who is from Utica.  

Chesterfield Restaurant has been serving quality Italian food to the Utica community since 1988.  Not only is the food delicious, but the service and ambience contribute to the totally inviting atmosphere.  It's clear that everyone who's part of the Chesterfield team takes pride in maintaining the restaurant's great reputation.  Needless to say, my entire family walked away satisfied--with nothing left on out plates! 

We walked into the restaurant without a reservation and the host was very accommodating of our party of six.  We could tell that they were preparing for a busy night, but we were seated within 10 minutes. Our waiter was incredibly friendly.  Immediately after we were seated, he took our drink orders, and brought water for everyone.  He then read off the list of specials for the night and gave us time to contemplate the menu over complimentary bread and home-made potato chips. 

What we ate: 

I can go on for days about how delicious the food was at Chesterfield.  They definitely place an emphasis on quality ingredients and put care into the food they serve.  

First, the chips. Crispy, fresh, fried to perfection and sprinkled with parmesan.  It was a a great contrast to the fresh baked, soft garlic bread, which was also delicious.  

I had a Bleu Mixed Salad. My mom ordered Chicken Melanzane, and her friend had a House Salad with their homemade house vinaigrette.  My younger brother and two sisters ordered Chesterfield's new coal-fired wings, lobster ravioli, and a cheese pizza respectively. Our food arrived--a platter of perfection. We dived in, sampling each other's entrees and discussing the great environment.  What gave the restaurant even more of a family feel is that the owner, went around to almost every table asking if there was anything he could do to make the experience better.  

Being a vegetarian, I couldn't sample everything but everything I was able to taste at our table definitely gets a thumbs up.  My salad was prepared with fresh, crisp lettuce and the balsamic reduction was absolute perfection.  My only qualm is that it was a bit heavy on the basil oil--an easy fix.  The lobster ravioli was a delicious blend of seafood and ricotta on the inside, and the lobster sauce could not have been better.  In addition, I can't say that I've been to an American-Italian restaurant where I've found pizza that makes me feel as if I'm back on the southern coast of Italy--a simple combination of crisp crust, light tomato sauce, and fresh mozzarella cheese.  Perfecto!

I definitely recommend the travel to Utica to experience this gem of a restaurant.  It's a quaint, cozy environment with a family-feel and delicious food--and owners who really care about quality! Next time I'd like to make it in time for the lunch menu because there are definitely more vegetarian options. Definitely call ahead for a reservation because they get a lot of business!  

Open

Monday-Thusday: 4-10pm

Friday-Saturday: 11:30am-11pm
Sunday: 4-9pm
Lunch: Tuesday-Saturday: 11:30am-2:30pm

http://www.chesterfield1713.com/ordereze/default.aspx