Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Foodista Gets Married - Rehearsal Dinner at Cielo







Cielo - 321 Nesconset-Port Jefferson Highway, Hauppauge, NY 11788
631.724.1918
http://www.cielocuisine.com/

Loyal readers know that the Foodista is currently out of town, enjoying her honeymoon. I decided that my first post in her absence should pay homage to her just-passed wedding weekend. I’m aware that weddings/rehearsal dinners are notorious for serving sub par food, but fortunately for me (and everyone else who was there) this was not the case.

The rehearsal dinner was hosted at Cielo. Cielo, which I’m pretty sure is translated to mean “sky,” is a great little Italian restaurant. It has a real rustic feel to it, and while it does seem small, it really proved it could host a whole lot of people. It also has a really cool bar with TVs so you can conveniently check out the scores to any game while “on your way to the bathroom.” Anyway, here’s what my dinner consisted of:

Salad/Pasta- Nice way to start everything off. It was the usual, simple starter salad and penne dish, but they definitely got things started off on the right foot. There was a light balsamic dressing on top of the salad which wasn’t overwhelming at all. This was important for me because I’m not too big on being served a salad that’s pre-dressed. And the penne had the perfect amount of creamy sauce, which everyone was able to garnish for themselves with shaved parmesan.

Tilapia Oreganata
- Awesome. This was the entrĂ©e I chose to go with, though there were a few other options. I loved my choice. The tilapia was perfectly cooked and not fishy at all. The breading wasn’t too crispy, and complimented the fish it encrusted. I cut off a piece with the edge of my fork, squeezed some lemon juice on top, and swirled it around in the light cream sauce it sat on top off. The flavor combination was refreshing, but also filling. Still, always room for dessert, especially when dessert means cheesecake.

CHEESECAKE
- I couldn’t say enough good things about this cheesecake—or the whipped cream/caramel sauce combo that was drizzled on top. Really, just try it.

When it came to the service, the waitstaff was really nice, but things were definitely on the slower side. Though to be fair, we were a party of about 60. So I'd say that's understandable. But if you're ever in the area, with a smaller group of people, you should definitely check out Cielo and let me know about your service experience. Also, the lunch and dinner menus look great, so I'd love to hear from anyone who's had the chance to dine at Cielo for a non-catered event!

2 Mmmms from me (Vicky)

2 comments:

  1. Seems like everything went well. Why only 2 Mmmms?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I felt I should leave rooMmmm for improvement.

    -Vicky (guest foodista)

    ReplyDelete