Castello's fills local niche for fine Italian dining
East Lyme — It doesn't get more Italian than this.
First, there is the name: Castello of Niantic restaurant, a new place on the outskirts of downtown Niantic. Castello means castle in Italian.
Then there's the food, which is redolent of fish and pasta dishes reminiscent of the old country. And it's one of the few spots in the area with New Haven-style pizza.
Finally, there is the Martone family itself, first-generation Italians from Naples who started a takeout-and-delivery place in Meriden four years ago before taking the plunge with a full-service restaurant. Castello's opened May 5 in a building previously occupied by a series of short-lived enterprises, the most recent of which was Bobby D's pizzeria.
"We want to be known as a destination," said Stanley Martone, the 23-year-old restaurant manager who owns the business with father Eduardo Martone and aunt Maria Picone. "We're not on the main strip, so we want to offer great food and great service."
Open for lunch and dinner most days, the restaurant has more than 30 people on staff, including 26-year-old sister Michelle, who is a part-time server, and Martone's 17-year-old brother Nicholas, who works as a chef when he is not in school.
"If you see the dishes this kid puts out — he has a flair for food service," Martone said.
Castello's has seating for 50 inside and room for 24 more on the newly built patio, a popular place in the summer.
The Martones, summer residents of Black Point, bought the building a year and a half ago. They initially hoped to open Castello's in 2015 but decided instead to take their time with the renovation, doing much of the work on their own.
Martone, the first person from his family to earn a college degree, said his parents came to America because they saw it as the land of opportunity.
"If you work hard, anything is possible," he remembers them saying.
Martone, who now makes Niantic his permanent home, said Castello's features modern and classic Italian cuisine. And the restaurant is happy to make custom dishes not on the menu, including gluten-free versions of menu items and classics such as fettuccine alfredo that might not be listed.
"We can whip up whatever anyone wants," Martone said. "We've made over 50 or 60 changes based on customer and employee feedback."
Martone said he was aiming for the place to be a little more upscale than other new restaurants in Niantic, feeling like the town lacked "a real Italian alternative." He didn't want Castello's to be another café, he said.
"We pride ourselves on making everything fresh," Martone said. "We order seafood just about twice a day, and our prices are competitive."
Some of the favorite menu items so far are the Stonington scallops, $22, the cavatelli with short rib ragu, also $22, and fresh cannoli, $4.50, that are assembled on premises. The potato pie pizza, $14 to $16, is one of the more unusual items, he added.
For those on a budget or looking for lunch, the menu also includes reasonably priced grinders in the $9 to $11 range that include an Italian combo and eggplant parmigiana.
"Customers are giving us very positive feedback," Martone said.
Business snapshot
What: Castello of Niantic, Italian restaurant
Where: 11 E. Pattagansett Road, Niantic
Who: Stanley Martone, co-owner
Hours: 5-9 Tues.; 11-9 Wed.-Thurs.; 11-10 Fri.-Sat.; 12-9 Sun.; closed Mon.
Contact: (860) 451-8880; www.castelloofniantic.com
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