After two year-hiatus, Dobbs Ferry restaurant Piccola Trattoria is back

Sergio Pennacchio — and his much loved Piccola Trattoria, including his unofficial rooster mascot Filippo — are back, after an almost two year hiatus. The Dobbs Ferry restaurant is set to open the week of Oct. 1, though the bar may be open before that.

The Italian spot, which had been down the road at 41 Cedar Street, closed Nov. 14, 2021 after Pennacchio was told the building that he (and his family before him) had occupied since 1996 would be torn down for apartments. Though he was supposed to have the restaurant rebuilt in the retail portion, it was taking too long. That project is still under construction. So, when he heard of an opportunity to move a few doors down — to 23 Cedar— he jumped.

What had been The Rare Bit and Broccoli's Luncheonette has been completely renovated in Pennacchio's homey style — he designed the space himself! — with light yellows and greens and copper pots and pans from his travels. Custom wood tables, many of which had been in his original spot, as well as the same dark blue hutch from his earlier incarnation, are also here. There's an old rotary phone near the front entrance, sage green cushioned seating along the side windows and — the pièce de résistance — a brand new bar, a feature that didn't previously exist in his 40-seat space, complete with stools, high-top tables and more cushioned seating.

The bar, which had been a horseshoe shape and done in the style of a British pub, has been revamped to more of an "L" with a lighter look and a long top shelf dotted with Campari, Pennacchio's drink of choice. Fans of his previous restaurant will be glad to know there's also a bar menu and new cocktails, with a happy hour to come.

The restaurant also features Filippo, a large cast-iron rooster Pennacchio picked up years ago in North Carolina that's become the unofficial mascot. Filippo graced the center of the trattoria in the old Piccola. He's now placed strategically on a communal table toward the front of the dining room.

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Old and new

Pennacchio, who's been cooking for more than 30 years and grew up in the business, has mixed a bit of old with new here, giving diners the comfort of what existed before while also widening his scope. Most of his staff, for example, is back, as are some elements of his previous decor.

The kitchen, visible from an open window in the dining room, is larger than his entire restaurant at the previous location. There's now also an additional 30 seats in the bar area.

The food, however, is exactly the same, meaning a mix of traditional dishes, specials and what's in season though Pennacchio now has the capacity to bake his own bread.

All of Pennacchio's pastas are homemade — he grew up in Argentina with a Sicilian father and Spanish mother — so his menu, while Italian, features Argentinean and Spanish flair. That includes fettuccini Siciliano, a house-made spinach pasta with eggplant in a marinara sauce; gnocci pesto con buffala, a house-made potato pasta in a creamy pesto sauce with buffalo mozzarella and crispy prosciutto; and pappardelle con nocciole, a house-made egg pasta with butternut squash and roasted hazelnuts in a cream sauce.

Other dishes include bistecca, grilled ribeye with Argentinean chimichurri sauce and house-made potato chips; branzino with white wine, lemon, garlic and fresh herbs served with seasonal sautéed veggies; and cotto carciofi, baked long-stem artichokes hearts with an anchovy and caper sauce.

Not always on the menu but worth asking for: his pork chop Milanese (or veal chop) or his pork chop Negroni made with Campari. Come spring, Pennacchio also makes a grapefruit Campari sorbet. Though in the meantime, you can feast on a caramelized crepe with dulce de leche, banana and vanilla ice cream; chocolate lava cake; or mascarpone zabaglione, with Nutella and pistachio nuts.

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The dining room seats 58 and though Pennacchio said he could have squeezed in more tables, he didn't want to. The extra room not only allows him to keep the dining room capacity close to where he was before so he can control everything that comes out the kitchen, but it also gives him room to walk through and chat with his guests, something that's just as important to him as his cooking.

Said Pennacchio: "We’re excited to see everyone again and be back in the kitchen."

If you go

Address: 23 Cedar St., Dobbs Ferry, 914-674-8427, piccolany.com

Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily

Good to Know: Reservations start Oct. 1. Happy Hour will come down the road. The wine list, mostly Italian, has been expanded.

Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @lohud_food or via the lohudfood newsletter. 

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Piccola Trattoria restaurant is back in Dobbs Ferry NY