A taste of Italy in a section of Bridgewater

Open for less than a month, Trio offers "Vera Cucina Italiana," or fine Italian dining.

As you enter, Giovanni greets you with a smile and takes you to your table, where you will find a bottle of virgin olive oil to accompany the freshly baked bread that soon appears. The menu isn't long, but the food is excellent, portions are generous and the presentation is delightful. To each dish, the chef adds a distinctive touch. An appetizer of fried calamari, for example ($9.95), was not only crisp and tender but also contained pieces of shrimp to complement the squid. It is served with aioli.

Other creative appetizers include roasted polenta ($7.95) with melted Gorgonzola, mushrooms and truffle scented olive oil; calamari, octopus, mussels, clams and shrimp ($9.95) in a light tomato broth with garlic crostini; grilled Italian sausage ($7.95) served over cime di rapa and cannelini beans drizzled with rosemary olive oil; sesame-crusted jumbo shrimp ($9.95) sauteed with wild mushrooms in a sherry wine sauce; and prosciutto with poached pears and fresh parmesan ($9.95). The specialty of the house is Trio Lescano ($8.95), three bruschetta crostini served with toasted eggplant, garlic, tomato, red onion, mozzarella and roasted peppers.

Salads are equally creative. The Trio, for example ($7.95), is rucola, radicchio and fennel tossed in balsamic vinaigrette topped with fresh Parmesan. We loved the Caesar salad, which contained just a touch of dressing but warm bits of shrimp among the finely chopped lettuce leaves. Francese ($7.95) is frisee, walnuts, orange segments and gorgonzola tossed in a citrus vinaigrette. Italiana ($8.95) is rucola, poached pears and berries tossed in a Chianti raspberry vinaigrette.

An entree of Porcini dusted beef tenderloin medallions in a truffle and wild mushroom sauce ($24.95) with mashed potatoes and fresh asparagus was delicious. So was one of the nightly specials, sea scallops over linguine ($14.95). Instead of traditional marinara sauce, it was made with finely chopped fresh tomatoes, onions and minced garlic.

Citrus horseradish-crusted salmon ($19.95) is served with braised fennel in a champagne leek sauce, while monkfish ($20.95) is grilled and accompanied by asparagus risotto drizzled with basil infused olive oil. Cod ($19.95) is stewed with tomato, garlic, onions and anchovies with roasted polenta. Yellow fin tuna ($23.95) is seared and drizzled with a roasted pepper emulsion over Israeli cous cous. Crab meat-crusted tilapia filet ($21.95) is served over spinach in a lemon beurre blanc. Mustard-crusted pork chops ($19.95) are served over sauteed long hot peppers, escarole and cannelini beans in aglio e olio.

The menu also features traditional chicken and veal favorites ($17.95 to $20.9), N.Y. strip steak ($23.95) and pasta dishes ($14.95 to $18.95). Desserts are homemade by Trio's own pastry chef.

ROBERT BAKER

from the Courier News website www.c-n.com