By Dawn Straccia
I had wanted to take a trip into Brooklyn one day to visit some friends. Hearing about this place called Spumoni Gardens, so it was the perfect opportunity to go see what it was all about.
It was a crisp fall morning as I make my way North on the Garden state Parkway. Approaching the Outer Bridge Crossing a certain calm falls over me. Originally from New York but am a transplant here in South Jersey for the last 17 years. You can take the girl out of the city, but not the city out of the girl. Over the bridge and onto 440, then head East on the Staten Island Expressway. Continuing I can see ahead in the distance the top of the arches of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge towering over the trees. With the sun just about up it is really a sight one should see at least once in a lifetime. When finally reaching the bridge the sun is positioned in such a way that the water beneath is glistening. Making my way over the Verrazano Bridge, the windows are down, and the crisp clean air is rolling around in the car like a backseat filled with small children laughing. I then exit off onto 92nd Street and automatically make my way to 86th Street to do a little shopping before meeting some friends at Spumoni Gardens for lunch.
When I arrived at Spumoni Gardens, to be honest, I was taken back a little bit by what I had seen. A long building surrounded by a chain link fence which looked like to me a paved parking lot but had umbrella covered picnic tables corralled inside like a bunch of wild horses and trees coming through the sidewalk. There was also a walk up window outside where you can order their famous Spumoni Ice Cream. My first impression, it reminded me of an old carriage house where they used to keep horses. A pretty far cry from what I had envisioned. But once entering the doors I was doubly surprised by what I had seen. A section to the left for Ice Cream, directly in front of you the Pizza take out, then through a door to the right is the dining room with linens on the table. Right off of the dinning room is a huge, newly built Sun room. And yes, that used to be part of the corral of Picnic tables until the crowds had gotten so over whelming to dine in that it was transformed, and transformed beautifully into this solarium type of setting to accommodate more diners. With arches painted on the walls like an Italian Villa and soft music playing in the back round it was perfect.
The menu had a wide variety of appetizers and entrees each one sounding better then the next. To start we had decided on the Pear and Walnut Salad. A combination of mixed salad greens and red onion topped with huge slices of Pecorino Romano cheese and Pears, then drizzled with a Balsamic Dressing and topped with candied walnuts. The combination was fresh, crisp and out of this world!! Our entrees consisted of Grilled Balsamic Glazed Chicken topped with Fresh Mozzarella and Red Roasted Peppers, Penne Vodka with Grilled Shrimp and Chicken Marsala.
The chicken breast was marinated in balsamic vinegar and grilled until just done and fork tender, mozzarella that melted in your mouth & roasted red peppers that were done so right that you could taste the char on them. The penne pasta was cooked Al Dente and the vodka sauce was light, creamy and smooth with just a hint of vodka to taste and topped with eight large grilled to perfection shrimp, the chicken marsala was two chicken breasts that was obviously cooked in the marsala and mushrooms for just the right amount of time to where it was rich, buttery and like heaven to the palette. A vegetable melody accompanied the chicken marsala consisting of broccoli, zucchini, and baby carrots that were full of color and crisp to the bite.
For dessert, of course, we had the Spumoni Ice Cream. The best I have ever had! Chocolate, Pistachio, and Cherry Ice Cream layered with fruit and nuts and a hint of Almond flavoring. There is really no reason to go anywhere else for this specialty. They have mastered it. Which leads me to believe they need to package it so everyone can have a taste.
Here in Brooklyn there are all kinds of restaurants that have been in neighborhoods like this one for decades. Standing on old traditions, and homemade recipes from the old country they have lasted through the test of time and the ups and downs of the economy. Spumoni Gardens has been in Brooklyn on 86th Street for more than 70 years.
I can understand now that old saying “never judge a book by its cover”. After being there enjoying the great food and company of friends Spumoni Gardens has Brooklyn written all over it. With the corralled umbrella topped tables sitting on blacktop, the walk up Ice Cream window, the take out pizza and the dining room they have covered it all.
So weather you are going for dinner, grabbing a Pizza, or walking up to the window to order Ice Cream . Sit at a table, enjoy the atmosphere, because there is a tree that grows in Brooklyn and it is called Spumoni Gardens.
Open Daily 12-11
2725 86th Street
Brooklyn, New York 11223
718-449-1230
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