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Westchester Dining | Scarsdale

Ambitious Menu From a Veteran Chef

TRANSFORMED The dining room at the 808 Bistro, which opened two months ago. Credit...Suzy Allman for The New York Times

THE 808 BISTRO is only two months old, but its chef, Salvatore Cucullo Jr., isn’t new to the restaurant business. This graduate of the Culinary Institute of America worked for most of his 34 years in his family’s Italian restaurants. “I knew I loved the business,” he said, “and wanted someday to have a restaurant of my own.”

Last year he and his business partner, Lynn Kozy, bought Millennio in Scarsdale, transforming the boxy space into the 808 Bistro, a lovely, sophisticated dining room that is simple enough to function for families, yet striking enough to attract adults. Mr. Cucullo is refining his ambitious menu, which offers an international mix of dishes, many of them responsive to the dietary needs of today. And while some items could use rethinking, others are downright brilliant, like the quinoa salad, a wonderfully balanced combination of that nutty seed, juicy segments of orange, sweet raisins, aromatic cilantro and crunchy cucumber.

Another creative mix — arugula, pistachios and Granny Smiths — starred a nice lump of herbed goat cheese, though too much chewy fennel lessened the salad’s appeal. Other starters rang few bells. A fruity, salty barbecue sauce added little to skewers of slightly overdone shrimp. Mushy pieces of calamari seemed more boiled than grilled, leaving their bed of dressed mixed greens to steal the show. And flavorless fish cakes needed rethinking, although the incendiary “firecracker” mayonnaise served to stun the tongue.

But three cheers for Nana, the brains behind the gnocchi, a high flyer of soft, puffy, wonderful little dumplings in a simple tomato sauce. Yet in the ups and downs of this fledgling restaurant, pappardelle never became airborne. The chianti-stained pappardelle listed on the menu turned out to be white pappardelle with ragout — a mess of poorly resuscitated pasta in a sauce bobbing with dry lumps of undecipherable meats.

There were missteps with the entrees as well. Bitter Moroccan-spiced lamb chops, ordered medium rare, arrived shriveled, though the accompanying grilled pineapple was juicy and refreshing. Uneven cooking left pork roast desiccated in some parts, acceptably moist in others — but given the deliciously different side of smashed yucca and charred grape tomatoes, the dish deserves a second try.

Fortunately, successful entrees won out. Duck duck, a special similar to the duck already listed on the regular menu, brought not only the leg confit but also a perfectly cooked magret, sliced to reveal a pale pink, tender center; a stunning mushroom risotto shared the plate. Hot peppers lent some zesty heat to big pieces of roasted chicken and sweet sausage, and a tasty tangerine beurre blanc gave additional lift to a thin piece of halibut under a plentiful crust of chopped pistachios. With expert diagonal slicing, skirt steak, a deliciously meaty but fibrous piece of beef, was turned into buttery tenderness.

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A berries and cream dessert.Credit...Suzy Allman for The New York Times

Not to be missed is a dessert of tiny, buttery, walnut-filled teacup tarts with “shaved” ice cream. These came four to an order and were so rich that sharing them would be wise.

To his credit, this chef tries to offer gluten-free or healthful alternatives when possible. Sometimes the plan works, but it ran amok in a chocolate cream polenta, which had weak flavor and texture like very coarse sand. And all the anticipation about apple strudel so special it must be ordered in advance was dashed; sugar and vanilla canceled much of the apple’s naturally deep flavor, and the bottom crust was tough as wallboard. For a light fruity ending, however, go for the fresh berry napoleon with puff pastry, a fragrant Grand Marnier cream anointing the lot.

The 808 Bistro

808 Scarsdale Avenue

Scarsdale

(914) 722-0808

the808bistro.com

WORTH IT

THE SPACE Cool urbane dining room and bar done in silver, black and gray with accents of intense blue seats. Side entrance for the handicapped.

THE CROWD Casually attired neighborhood clientele, from couples to families. Very noisy dining room.

THE BAR Tiny, glittery and fully stocked bar at the back of the dining room. Special fancy cocktail menu, $8 to $10. Moderately priced wine list includes several bottles for under $40. Wines by the glass, $8 and $11.

THE BILL Although the restaurant is new and dishes are still being perfected, these prices are deals considering the quality of ingredients. Lunch: entrees, $12 to $17; sandwiches and wraps, $9 to $11, with salad or fries included. Dinner: entrees, $18 to $32. Dine between 4 and 5:30 p.m. on any day and receive a 25 percent discount. Major credit cards accepted.

WHAT WE LIKED Quinoa citrus salad, Nana’s gnocchi; duck duck (special) with shiitake mushroom risotto, roasted chicken with sausage, skirt steak; walnut teacup cakes with shaved ice cream, fresh berry napoleon.

IF YOU GO Lunch: every day, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dinner: Sunday through Wednesday, 4 to 10 p.m.; Thursday to Saturday, 4 to 11 p.m. Reservations are always a good idea and are necessary on weekends.

RATINGS Don’t Miss, Worth It, O.K., Don’t Bother.

A version of this article appears in print on  , Section WE, Page 8 of the New York edition with the headline: Ambitious Menu From a Veteran Chef. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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