Pinoli Gloucester Restaurant Review

The Joy of Beautiful Food!

TJ, Chef Paolo La Boa, and Shelia

There’s a special magic created when a restaurant is owned and operated by the chef, and without doubt, that joy is happening at Pinoli Restaurant. In Gloucester, we know it to be true with wonderfully popular restaurants such as Duckworth’s Bistrot (Chef Ken Duckworth) and Passports (Chef Eric Lorden). It takes enormous amounts of hard work and tremendous passion to own and operate a restaurant. That heart and soul is evident in the exquisite cuisine and in every detail of Chef Paolo La Boa’s newly opened Pinoli.

We went Thursday night, which was the very first night Pinoli was open to the general public. Our experience was so enjoyable, you would never, ever have known the doors had opened only hours earlier.

I can’t tell you much about the wine list because at a quick  first glance, the word Lambrusco jumped off the page, and it was reasonably priced. I don’t see Lambrusco on many menus, unfortunately so, because there is nothing comparable to a delicious sparkling red wine, and Pinoli’s Lambrusco is just that, with subtle effervescence, dry, and full flavored, neither sweet nor too acidic.

My husband Tom commented on the warm and inviting décor, especially the thoughtfully designed ambient lighting. The combination of the menu’s cleanly designed font and lambent lighting made it very easy to read the menu.

Ryan, our waitress, provided spot on service and was knowledgeable about every ingredient on the menu.

For his first course, Tom had the half portion of Tagliere di Salumi, an absolutely fantastic farm board of handpicked cured meats and local cheeses, served with delicious fried dough.

I had the delightfully colorful and crispy fresh mixed seasonal green salad, Misticanza di Campo, which also included thinly sliced watermelon radishes–just beautiful! The salad was dressed with a tasty housemade red wine rosemary vinaigrette and generous shavings of parmigiano. Pinoli makes their own vinegar; the current selection includes rosemary infused red wine vinegar and honey flavored vinegar.

Tom wasn’t too, too hungry and had ordered a half serving of the tortelli filled with chard, spinach, herbs, and ricotta, served with walnut pesto (Pansotti all Salsa di Noci). A half order is truly a half order, so I didn’t dare ask for a taste as I didn’t want him to go home hungry. He was savoring every bite. The next time we go I hope to sample a pasta, with pesto, for which Chef Paolo is so famous. I think the very best pesto is made from the most tender new leaves of the basil plant and am curious to know if it is possible to source that locally at this time of year.

My secondi, Fritto di Barca, was one of the most deliciously prepared fresh fish dishes I have ever had and it also included a medley of Genovese-style fried vegetables. I have never had fish fried with such a light hand, and just loved the fresh seafood and veggie combination. As I am not a fan of monkfish, I asked if it could be served without, only wishing for the calamari and shellfish. My request was honored without fuss or hesitation. The Fritto di Barca was served with sliced lemon and a creamy dipping sauce, with a hint of anchovy, although the fish was entirely delicious on its own and did not require a dip in the sauce.

The made-to-order cannolis tasted as beautiful as they looked. Filled with mascarpone cream and a touch of candied orange peel, they couldn’t have been more yummy. As opposed to serving one large cannoli, two petite cannolis is a terrific idea for sharing dessert with your companion. Accompanied by piping hot full-flavored coffee, they were the perfect end to a deliciously joyful dinner.

Buon appetito!

Newsworthy to note is that Pinoli will be open for brunch after the first of the new year. For the time being their hours of operation are Wednesday through Sunday, from 5pm to 10pm.

For more information visit  Pinoli’s website here.

Pinoli guests Kathy Numerosi and friend Joanne