Lupo Italian Kitchen: Warmth on a Cold Night
I recently visited Lupo on a cold Wednesday, not knowing it was their famous half price pasta night. It was as busy as a Saturday night in August in the restaurant! But we got seated in 15 minutes, hanging at the bar first for a well-mixed cosmo and some good conversation.
I enjoy the vibe at Lupo—bustling and alive, but not too noisy; well designed and appointed, but not fussy; comfortable for dinner for two or eight. The décor is simple and clean, and the place has a great pulse.
Our table of three shared the grilled artichoke appetizer, tasty and a nice bite to start us off. It was seasoned with sea salt, herbs, lemon and Virgin Olive Oil—simple and elegant. Other selections on the menu included marinated olives, Meatballs with golden raisins, pine nuts, pecorino cheese and red sauce. There was also calamari, roasted squash, and other delicacies.
They are noted for that shaved brussel sprout salad, with truffle oil and pecorino, but we all knew to skip the salad course if we wanted to get through the pasta! From the half-price pasta selections I chose the veal meatballs and spaghetti, simply prepared with basil, roasted garlic and a red sauce. I loved it.
But I also got a taste of the lamb ragout with black olives, a slightly spicy, thoroughly tasty combination well worth its regular menu price of $25 but a joy on half price night. Our third diner ordered the Margherita flatbread with San Marzano tomato, Italian Buffalo Mozzarella, and basil. Classic and plenty large to be an entrée with leftover to share.
Other house classics include seasonal risotto with Arborio rice, parmesan reggiano and butter, Chicken Cutlet Parmesan, Grilled whole Branzino (a Mediterranean sea bass), Eggplant Parmesan, and Chiantic braised short ribs.
A word about wine—Lupo has a great wine list, with many choices by the glass. They are known for having a list that includes about 70 Italian wines and they offer a helpful color-coded map of Italy, noting which regions each wine comes from, to help you make your selection. I enjoyed a full-bodied Cabernet by the glass—Terrilogio, Super Toscana, for $8. The list is really amazing and a great way to learn a little about the wines of Italy.
Two dishes I didn’t get to try are the Shrimp Carbonara: paccheri, pancetta, local peas, cream, and egg yolk, or the Lobster Bucatini, with Pancetta, peas, lemon and marscapone cream. Those are up for my next visit.
Our waiter Chris provided warm and friendly, but still very professional, service as he made sure we tasted the wonderful Italian bread with olive oil and offered tableside grated Pecorino—as much as we wanted.
Our congratulations to Chef Chris Parks, who is in his first year at Lupo and is winning rave reviews. He comes to the coast from New York City, where he studied Italian cuisine and worked under several chefs he notes as “notorious,” including Tom Colicchio of Craft New York and Andrew Carmellini of Lafayette Grand Café and Bakery. According to Parks, he created the menu for Lupo from inspiration from his favorite New York eateries and his extensive culinary background.
I love that we can get a taste of New York’s Italian specialties here on Rehoboth Avenue without having to pay $39 to park the car for the evening.
For a little history, Lupo is part of SoDel Concepts, the award-winning restaurant group which has opened ten concept restaurants/catering in a decade. They take pride in being an independent, chef-driven restaurant group, reflecting the founder—the late Matt Haley—and his vision of creating beautiful simple food, and being generous in their community support. Two of my favorites are Matt’s Fish Camp and Bluecoast, both down near the Indian River Bridge—worth the short ride—especially Blue Coast at Sunset.
At Lupo, we had a warm experience on a cold night and I recommend Lupo Italian Kitchen, in the Hotel Rehoboth, to provide a spark for you in the dark months. “Cin Cin!“