Avellino

f you’re cruising through central Massachusetts, make sure you save room for authentic Italian, homemade pastas, and a cozy atmosphere.

That’s exactly what you’ll get at Avellino in Sturbridge.

From the outside, Avellino looks like a mansion with its white columns, and it’s home to both Avellino and its sister restaurant, The Duck.

Once inside, you are transported to a spacious and welcoming dining room, held together by dark woods and cathedral ceilings.

The Italy-meets-New England feel is what they’re all about, according to Executive Chef Jacob Munro.

“First and foremost, I want everybody that comes in to enjoy their meal… something that, you know, even if they've had it before, maybe a different flavor or, you know, a presentation. You know, try to keep them engaged.”

“Keeps it fresh, gives everybody something new to cook.”

“Classic good flavors, good prep, fresh produce. You know, I think it separates us, you know, from kind of the rest of the herd.”

The big flavors kick off with the appetizers.

The Gorgonzola Bread is unique to Avellino and features a ciabatta loaf, toasted until golden brown, served on top of a whipped Gorgonzola fondue, garnished with some scallions.

For even more cheese, the Burrata features that ultra-creamy cheese with Chef Jacob’s choice of pairing. We got it served warm, with a sweet-and-sour relish made from eggplants, tomatoes, and olives.

The Cod Cakes are seared crispy on the outside with that cod and potato mixture on the inside, served over a whole-grain mustard aioli and topped with pickled vegetables.

For some true New England seafood fare, get the Littleneck Clams.

“Our littleneck clams are locally farmed right out of the Cape.”

“So we start our pan. Garlic, shallots, cherry peppers. Give those a light sauté. We deglaze our clams with white wine, cook those down. And then once the clams pop, we hit it with a little bit of beer. Reduce that down. Mount it with butter. And then when we garnish it, it's pickled mustard seeds, a grilled piece of garlic bread, and micro herbs.”

“So off the bat, you're going to get the cherry peppers, which are a little bit of spice, followed by garlic. You know, your white wine is going to be pretty abundant.”

“You get the bread at the end. Soak it all up.”

“It's fantastic.”

Avellino’s entrées also bring the flavor in fresh seafood, steaks, and beyond.

The Seared Scallops are perfectly caramelized, nestled atop what they call “bean bourguignon,” and topped with a charred scallion salsa verde to brighten up all that flavor.

The Tuscan Chicken Thighs are marinated for at least two days before they’re grilled, alongside a charred artichoke heart and plated over some fingerling potatoes and sundried tomatoes. It’s topped with a cherry pepper cream sauce that's totally rich and totally delicious.

The Flank Steak is cooked perfectly before being served over buttery mashed potatoes with a peppery shishito au poivre that adds a subtle spice and a ton of depth to the dish.

“The shishito flavor really pulls through green peppercorns. It's a very unique sauce. I feel like it's one of those, you know, you love it or hate it. We love it here.”

“And so do our customers.”

When it’s time for the main event, Avellino’s homemade pastas lead the way, and the offerings range from the classics to the out of the ordinary.

Starting with everybody’s favorite, the Chicken Parm. Here they’re butterflying, pounding, and breading chicken breast daily before crisping them up and serving it over that ultra-fresh pasta.

The Tortellino Carbonara offers a delicious take on the classic dish, amping up the richness by pairing their creamy, silky sauce with cheese-stuffed tortellinis and topping it all off with salty bacon lardons.

But for something truly unique, the Gnocchi Stroganoff stands out. It’s served with melt-in-your-mouth short ribs and a horseradish cream sauce.

“With the richness of the short ribs, you know, the starchiness of your gnocchi, you know, the beef sauce itself. Very rich. You've got a lot of vegetables, red wine.”

“You might need a nap after this.”

But before you sleep off the meal, you gotta end it with dessert. At Avellino, their pastry chef comes up with rotating recipes daily, inspired by the fresh ingredients they have on hand.

Those creations include your classic crème brûlée with the torched sugar crust, a crumbly blueberry tart, and a super-sweet chocolate chip cookie cream pie.

But the real sweet showstopper is the White Chocolate Mousse, served in a handmade caramel tuile bowl.

“Very velvety, creamy, sweet, but not overly sweet. The garnish of the white chocolate on top kind of fortifies that white chocolate flavor. You get the acidity from the raspberries while also sweet… a very well-rounded dessert.”

“Our restaurants are more than great food. You know, we have great ownership starting right at the top. You know, and it works its way down. You know, it's a great, great family feel.”

“I think if you come in, check it out, you won't regret it.”

For comfort classics, fresh pasta, and homemade Italian, you gotta check out Avellino in Sturbridge, Massachusetts.