Like many new restaurants in America, the pandemic played a part in the arrival of Greenwich’s new Italian kid on the block, Rosina’s Bar & Restaurant. While it delayed the timeline and presented several road blocks along the way, it was also responsible for guiding partners Jared Falco, Coby Blount, and Frank Carpentieri to Rosina’s location on Mill Street, which opened in this tony Connecticut town last week. Big believers in destiny, this trio couldn’t be more excited about bringing their cumulative front and back of house experience to the neighborhood in the form of straightforward Italian cooking. Here, Falco tells La Cucina Italiana about how Rosina’s came to be and what to expect when dining there.
General manager, Coby Blount and chef, Jared Falco
Who are they players of the team behind Rosina’s?
Myself, one of my best friends in the world, Coby Blount, who runs our Front of House team as General Manager, and Frank Carpentieri, who manages all of the gardens around Greenwich that we source our local produce from. I’m a born New Yorker who came up in Manhattan but cut my teeth as a chef in Fairfield County. Coby has built a strong following in Greenwich over the last 15 years. Coby and I were a part of the original managing team at the first Fortina in Armonk, NY, and are excited to bring our collective experience together at Rosina’s.
Why did you open Rosina’s?
To better our lives and our careers! We’re passionate restaurant and hospitality people and have always wanted to make a go of it on our own. We took our time trying to figure out how to open our own restaurant, and it took us about five years to get here. Greenwich was always the market we chose and were working towards opening something in, and we’re thrilled to finally realize our goal with Rosina’s.
What’s the significance behind the name?
Frank’s mom was named Rosina. She lived in the neighborhood for about 85 years and had a lot of involvement in the bingo and Italian feasts there. We were stuck on a combo of the owner’s nonnas' names, but when Rosina passed away, her strong female presence was something we wanted to continue to celebrate, so it was a no-brainer.
What inspired the restaurant’s design?
We went for a simple, old school/vintage look that’s got a brasserie design with a homier feel. We took color schemes and textures from places we love. You’ll find small pictures of places we’ve visited around the restaurant, which we put up to keep everything as on-brand as possible. All of our beautiful pine wood is from a farm in the Hudson Valley. Coby’s wife Francesca has a bit of a design and purchasing background and a keen eye. She helped us bring it all together.
Rigatoni, braised pork, escarole, beans, tomato at Rosina's in Greenwich, CT.
What is the menu concept?
We always knew the concept would be Italian food that we love and are passionate about. Our original concept was a bit more high-end because it was going to be right on Greenwich Avenue, which is the Rodeo Drive of the East Coast. We settled on something that’s more straightforward and delicious that includes pastas, pizzas, and other comforting Italian dishes.
Where do you source your ingredients?
Our approach is hyper-local. Our tomatoes are currently coming from several gardens in the neighborhood that Frank manages and tends to.
Arancini, ‘nduja, pecorino cream sauce.
Any signature dishes we should know about?
Yes. Our rigatoni has become a big fan favorite since we opened and is one of my personal favorites. We make it with braised escarole, white beans, and pork. All of the ingredients are braised separately in the same braising liquid and then pulled together to homogenize, then are finished with pecorino romano and garlicky bread crumbs. It’s very welcoming. Our pappardelle is another standout. Our Bolognese leans traditional with simply braised veal and pork. There’s no cream involved. We use tons of herbs like sage and bay leaves and of course a mirepoix of carrots, celery, and onions. Instead of chicken livers, we use pancetta and duck fat. The pappardelle itself is hand-made every day with 00 flour. It really works with the sauce and grips onto it well. I think people are also going to dig our Andouille Arancini made with 'nduja and served over a pecorino fonduta.
Tell us more about the pasta.
We have eight semolina-based pastas on the menu, six of which are extruded and two or three that are made by hand. Hand-made pasta is a skill we’ve all fallen in love with in the kitchen and we’ve been plotting and planning to push this type of pasta product out to this neighborhood in hopes that they’ll love it. We also offer a gluten-free pasta that’s made of corn.
And there’s a story behind the pizza oven?
Pizza was sort of a last-minute thing. We were originally toying with vintage pizza ovens but then went with something new to make sure we were able to make the pizza quicker instead of having people wait for over 30 minutes out of a cool-looking but less efficient oven. There aren’t many pizzas in this area coming out of a Pizzamaster oven, so we are very excited to showcase it. We have up to 10 different rotating pizzas daily.
What’s happening behind the bar?
We have a crazy wine and cocktail program, thanks to Juan Meyer, who has spent over 10 years working in restaurants in Greenwich. We’re very fortunate to have him. We have both natural and big Italian wines, currently offering anywhere up to 10 whites and 10 reds by the glass and a separate by-the-bottle list.
How can we taste all of this delicious-sounding food and drink?
Rosina opens daily from Tuesday through Sunday at 4pm. We are closed on Mondays. We will eventually be offering brunch Saturdays and Sundays, with lunch to follow. For the latest updates, follow Rosina’s on Instagram @rosinasgreenwich.