Posa Ristorante & Vineria — Restaurant in Ridgefield

May 2024: Interestingly, I'm following up this review of Posa going once again to see "Echoes of Sinatra." It's a place worth dining if you're visiting or a regular. This evening, our special app of squash blossoms was an example of fine cooking, in addition to the zuppa di pesce (a variety of seafood) we shared.

2021: Returning to the Ridgefield Playhouse for an outdoor event in late May, “Echoes of Sinatra,” we noticed in the program a local restaurant named “Posa” was sponsoring the show and offering a free glass of wine to patrons who attended. We decided to try their Ristorante for something different when attending the playhouse.

There was a guitarist outside playing popular music to customers who wanted to sit on the patio. The maitre d’ greeted us at the door and asked where we’d like to eat and we said indoors having been outside for two hours at the concert. A waitress brought us menus and came back to take our drink orders. I asked what the specials were and she didn’t know so the maitre d’ came back and I liked the one he described as a popular dish. We never had any one server and in total probably had five or six by the time we received our check. This made how much to tip confusing, as we didn’t know how it would be divided.

Breadsticks and rolls were brought to the table. The breadsticks were quite dry and flavorless to me, but my partner said this is how they’re commonly made and served in Italy so he was pleased and ate two or three. I had a roll, though no olive oil or butter came with them. We opted to buy a bottle of Pellegrino along with our two special menu cocktails: “Thyme & Thyme” and “Negroni Sbagliato.” Both had unique flavors and a good pour. A complimentary crocche appetizer was presented – two small fried potato cheese balls, like croquettes or fritters; they’re like arancini but a fraction of the size with potato instead of rice. A savory bite. Well done.

When we read that an Italian restaurant has excellent pizza, in addition to their dinner menu, we order one as an appetizer, have a bite, and bring home the rest. Since they proudly mention their wood burning oven, we chose the “Praiano” white pizza with pancetta and caramelized onions. It was interesting. A lot of blackened char on the crust from the high heat and yet the slices of pancetta were undercooked. Not even a hint of crispiness. Perhaps they pull the pizza out and put the pancetta on last before putting it back in as it was overcooking if cooked from the start. The cheese was plentiful and perfectly melted.

We asked for our two free glasses of wine that came with seeing the show. Nice stemware. Full bodied and tasty cab.

The two main entrées were “Gnocchi al forno” with local farm cheese and a tomato sauce baked in their wood burning oven, and the special “Paccheri Con Astice,” a tube shaped pasta like rigatoni but longer and flatter that is used here to serve with lobster. The gnocchi came in an extremely hot dish and was pleasant to eat. The gnocchi flavors and density were kind of hidden from the bright tomato sauce it's baked in. My pasta with lobster was superb.

After our dinners, we ordered a cappuccino and one snifter of amaretto to complete the experience. The cappuccino was not that impressive as it was mostly foam and little coffee. The amaretto turned out to cost $15. for a small pour which surprised us since this is something we order often. We mentioned it to the staff picking up our payment and she said she’d tell the bartender but he seemed indifferent hearing our comment. The high price certainly balanced the cost of our two complimentary wines.

Overall, it was a four star meal, the atmosphere is modern, chic, and roomy with a lot of seating areas and high ceilings. The pricing varies depending on what you order but some choices are expensive, and their extensive wine list has some very high priced bottles which are well worth it if it’s in your price range. If you’re in the mood for Italian...

Posa is nothing less than pure obsession with 1) authentic Italian cooking, 2) highest quality, and 3) service that will leave you thinking you were teleported to Italy and then back home again. The claim on their web site rings true – “…we take our time to source the best ingredients so we can craft outstanding and authentic Italian Cuisine; that means right down to the Tomatoes in our sauce and the oil in our pans”. This is simply one of the finest Italian restaurants in the area hands down.

The first thing you’ll notice about the food is its all hand-made and fresh. You’ll appreciate the open view to the kitchen as there is nothing to hide - the pizza dough is hand-mixed in a bowl and the focaccia ingredients are all weighed right in front of you. The ravioli is large but thin and light and stuffed like a soft pillow with spinach and ricotta. The pizza resembles Neapolitan and is cooked in a pizza oven imported directly from Italy. Try the Margherita with silky smooth Fior Di Latte or Foccacia San Daniele with prosciutto and buffalo Mozzarella – outstanding!

Nothing short of spectacular was the white truffle pasta special – a home-made pasta (somewhat similar to linguini) with white truffle sauce. Before ordering our waiter presented a white truffle the size of a fist, under glass, which did not fail to impress (especially considering these can cost $10,000 per pound!) The truffle was shaved with a micro-grater over the pasta at the table and the meal certainly did not disappoint! Our family shared a few entrees and agreed this one was nothing short of spectacular (and worth the price!).

This fine menu is rounded out with a large selection of wines (many imported from Italy), desserts made with the same attention as the entrees (I suggest the Tiramisu or the Morbido al cioccolato), and a long list – the longest I’ve seen – of very fine grappas. (If you think you don’t like grappa think again – ask for a recommendation and if you can get a sample; my suggestion – the Poli Miele).

Everything about the interior is pleasing to the eye and compliments the dining experience. From the tables, plates & glassware, lighting and décor you are encouraged to relax and truly enjoy your meal. The wait staff are 5-star – not overbearing but always there at the right time and very pleasant. The owner and his father are hands-on, and you can see them hovering in the kitchen and on the floor constantly making sure everything is prepared to their very high standards. In summary, Posa not only recreates the fine foods native to Italy but goes on to meet the high expectations of recreating the complete authentic dining experience that you would experience there. Reservations...

We were really looking forward to dining here after just moving to Ridgefield from NYC, especially since a local mom friend highly recommended it. Unfortunately, our experience was completely ruined by the unbelievably rude service from our waiter.

I politely asked him if he had any recommendations from the menu and mentioned that we had a seafood allergy. Without any provocation, he snapped, “This is an Amalfi restaurant so the food here will be seafood forward. Why don’t you look at the menu? I’ll be back.” His attitude was shockingly nasty and completely uncalled for.

I calmly let him know that most waiters usually recommend popular dishes, and telling us to just look at the menu was pretty rude. Instead of responding or apologizing, he shrugged and walked away—then essentially stopped serving our table altogether. We were left sitting there, stunned and wondering whether we were going to be served or just ignored for asking a perfectly normal question.

I’ve lived in big global cities my whole life and spent over 15 years in NYC, so I’ve seen rude service before—but this was truly one of the most bizarre and hostile encounters I’ve had at a restaurant. It felt like he gave us a big “screw you” and walked off mid-conversation, which was honestly insulting.

Thankfully, we asked for the manager, who was incredibly kind and apologetic. He personally took care of us and turned the rest of the night around with excellent service. His professionalism is the only reason this isn’t a full complaint across the board.

Still, as new locals trying to support a local restaurant, it was really disappointing to be treated so poorly. This town is known for its warmth and kindness, and it’s incredibly disheartening to have such a negative and unwelcoming experience here.

Hopefully the owner sees this post and can implement better service training to the staff as we do like the food and...