Sapori Restaurant Reviewby Marla CiminiOver the past few years, dining has become more of an adventure along Haddon Avenue, the main drag in Collingswood, New Jersey. As the town experiences its recent and ongoing resurgence, several new restaurants have sprouted up, a few have renovated their spaces, or moved to larger digs down the street to accommodate the big crowds. Today, it seems like every time you stroll around the area, a new place of business has moved in and is basking happily in its newly-found popularity.Word on the street is that Collingswood is still in the midst of a major revitalization, although some have commented that the fervor is starting to run out of gas…no matter, because the restaurants that have become hot spots show no signs of slowing down.As a restaurant fan, I am always interested in experiencing the latest establishment to open its doors, and especially curious about Sapori, the new, hip Collingswood trattoria.When my dining partner, Chris and I arrived on a recent warm Friday evening, we knew that we were in for a special evening even before we opened the heavy, bronze front door. Adorned with a regal lion’s head staring directly at guests about to enter the restaurant, it emits a sense of richness and gives a cause for a deliberate, but slight delay in opening the door. A pause to admire something unusual, artistic. A pause that prepares visitors for a wonderful dining experience.Upon entering, we were greeted warmly. We waited a few brief moments for the host to set up our table, and then followed her to our cozy table for two. It was situated in a semi-private area against one of several gray stone dividing walls that separate the large dining room into smaller, snug but open sections.Immediately after receiving menus, a basket of warm Italian bread, sprinkled with seeds on top, was placed on our table, along with a generous cup of creamy, smooth asparagus butter. Our server, Kevin, welcomed us, informed us of the specials, including two whole fish prepared differently each day. He filled our water glasses within a few moments of us being seated.As I admired the pretty reflection of the setting sun against the sleek, brushed stainless steel flatware and remarked how the light dazzled through the window situated high on my right, our server returned and asked if we had made our choices.We enjoy surprises, so we decided to choose the menu items that seemed very unique to Sapori, including the antipasto saporito for the reasonable price of $7.00. We found it unusual because this antipasto is always “chef’s choice,” and changes daily.It turned out to be a fairly large selection of several delicious meats, cheeses and vegetables – but not your average antipasto. It contained small portions of several interesting flavors, combining savory, sweet and tangy. As he placed the plate on our table, Kevin spent a few minutes identifying each of the items. Our antipasto featured: procuitto, provolone and salami; a breaded, fried eggplant “sandwich” with savory goat cheese inside two circles of tasty eggplant; a sugary eggplant tapanade topped with sharp asiago cheese; a few slices of plain, chickpea tart, (that we dipped into the tapanade to spice it up a bit); fat green olives; roasted peppers, and bruchetta. Overall, the antipasto was a delight, filling our taste buds with a variety of bold flavors and textures.We also chose an appetizer-sized portion of angel-hair pasta for $9.00. It had chunks of roasted rabbit in white wine, with porcini mushrooms and bright green peas, all in a delicate creamy sauce. This could have easily been an award-winning entrée from a world-class European restaurant. The tender, flavorful rabbit was the best Chris had ever had in New Jersey, or the U.S. for that matter. It reminded him of the delicious dishes from a recent trip to France. We got the feeling that the entrée was not ordered frequently at Sapori, because the chef himself brought it out to our table and he seemed a bit curious to see who ordered the rabbit. He was extremely friendly and jovial and commented that if we did not have a beloved cartoon character (you know who!), more people would order it regularly.My visit to a restaurant is never complete without surreptitiously wondering around the area, and taking in the atmosphere. As I walked toward the back of the restaurant, I had the opportunity to enjoy the renovations and the added extras that Sapori has to offer. (Hey, those great lion’s head doors greet restroom visitors, too). The terracotta tiled floors run throughout the restaurant, the stucco, oatmeal-colored walls accented with stone gives the dining room a Roman-esque flavor, as the iron “balconies” surrounding windows set high near the ceiling, give the guests a taste of how it would be to dine in an Italian villa or trattoria where “only the locals go.”As the evening continued, Sapori became very, very loud and busy! The room’s cavernous ceilings reverberate the buzz of the enthusiastic crowd throughout the dining room. The servers were working hard, too. Sapori’s system is set up with different servers, called runners, bringing the food to the tables, and throughout the evening, we had several individuals bringing and clearing our plates. It seemed that everyone was working together, as a team, and the staff was willing to assist a table even if was not the one they were designated. Water pitchers splashed with bold images of brightly colored lemons and sunflowers bobbed around the room as servers (almost) always seem to be filling and re-filling guests’ water glasses.The lighting at Sapori completes the romantic ambiance. Shining spheres suspended high from the amber ceiling illuminate Sapori and bathed the open room (and the customers) in a shimmering, golden light.When our entrees arrived in just the right amount of time between courses, we were ready! My entrée, called “carchoocha,” for $22.00 was a special of the evening and included a medley of shellfish and shrimp. It featured about 10 mussels, 6 steamed clams, 1 small lobster tail and four shrimp. Presented beautifully, the dish was almost too ethically pleasing to eat. A vibrant red tomato sauce, with large spicy chunks throughout the dish, really made the entrée flavorful. Most of the seafood was very good, with the mussels small but tasty, the clams (for the most part) sweet and tender and the shrimp simply succulent. My main issue was with the clams, which unfortunately had a bit of the beach still inside of them. Yes, friends, each one was sandy, but on a positive note, underneath it all the taste was pleasing.As a hopeless gnocchi fan, I ordered a side of their homemade version for $ 9.00 in marinara sauce that turned out to be just fantastic. The squarish-fluffs of gnocchi meshed well with the fresh basil and spicy tomato sauce. The smoked mozzarella cheese melted into the pasta and truly gave this dish an extra “kick” with that delicious smoky flavor. I could have eaten three more bowls…at least!For his entrée, Chris decided to stay on land and ordered the rack of lamb for $24.00, which was one of the specials that evening. After the terrific and unique (for these parts) rabbit pasta, the rack of lamb was a tad under whelming. The modest four-rib rack, ordered medium, was ever so slightly overcooked, but not enough to send back and break the flow of the meal. It was served with roasted potatoes and black eyed peas. The demi-glazed sauce was sublime, yet the “succulent” factor just did not seem to register.For dessert, we chose the Sicilian canolli, that Kevin explained was made with sheep’s milk. We also decided to try a scoop of the homemade chocolate hazelnut gelato. The desserts were each $ 7.00 The gelato was as good as I had hoped it would be, a big dish of rich, dark chocolate with a hazelnut center. We were slightly disappointed with the canolli, because it did not taste any different from the cannoli we have tasted over the years. It was not the best canolli we have ever tasted, but it was still a good dessert. To cap off our dinner, we each enjoyed a cappuccino $4.00 that was smooth and frothy.Would we go back to Sapori? Absolutely! Aside from a few missteps, the food was delicious and the restaurant was obviously well-run. The positives definitely outweighed the negative parts of our dining experience – and we are looking forward to our next visit.Ratings:Food 7Service 7
