Last week, I made the trek from Marist College to Cosimo's Trattoria for the first time ever. But not during just any week, restaurant week. My first visit at Poughkeepsie's Italian gem was graced with an appetizer, entrée and dessert for the sweet deal of $29. Here's my account of the most unapologetically carb-y night of my life.
Appetizer
The first dish included two hefty ground beef meatballs nestled in creamy polenta, drowned in a heap of tomato sauce with just the right amount of pesto, and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. These were honestly some of the best meatballs I've ever eaten; full of flavor and tender enough to slip my fork right into.
Entrée(s)
Sun-dried tomatoes alla vodka was served next. The sauce was super creamy and became even more so under–you guessed it–melted Parmesan cheese. For me, the wood roasted mushrooms really took this dish to the next level. This wasn't part of the restaurant week menu, but we couldn't not get this Cosimo's classic.
Our second entrée was Formaggi e Fungi, which is translated from Italian into English as "cheese and mushrooms". This dish involves thin crust, truffle oil, a blend of fontina, Parmesan, and gorgonzola cheese, wood roasted mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes. The sweet and savory flavors of the tomatoes and mushrooms made this a well-rounded dish, yet the thin crust allowed it to be light and not overwhelming. What made this pie stand out to me was definitely the truffle oil. The flavors were so fierce in this pizza, and it tasted just as crispy and flavorful for lunch the next day.
Dessert
Last but not least, I ate this warm "Autumn spiced" blackberry and peach cobbler. You can imagine how full I was at this point, but that didn't stop me from enjoying this juicy and crunchy dessert. A sweet ending to a successful first experience at Cosimo's Trattoria.