IL Cenacolo — Restaurant in Town of Newburgh

We celebrated my brother in law’s birthday here and had to move our reservation by a half hour to 19:30, so glad we did because the place was packed, the wait time may have been longer, they were very busy. We waited for our table at the bar and noticed they had Blanton’s and Bulleit, two of our favorite bourbons :) The rough-hewn ceiling decor reminded me of the old days… with all types of antique kitchen cookware hanging from it, which lends to an old world charm. As appetizers, we ordered the Gnocchi Taleggio; Homemade Gnocchi in Taleggio Cheese - Cream Sauce topped with crunchy walnuts and garnished fresh parsley.

Next we were able to customize our Burrata with quality prosciutto, which was a bit thickly sliced, but that’s ok. The Burrata was creamy… yum. Our waitress verbally gave us a vast specials list, Vincent was a bit hesitant (due to past experiences elsewhere) to order the filet mignon because they are not a steakhouse, but our waitress replied they have a butcher in-house ( as well as a pastry chef) that cuts and preps all the meats and she highly recommends it, with that, he decided to give it a try and selected it with a peppercorn sauce. It was a toss up between Venison with mushrooms in a Marsala sauce or Elk with a green peppercorn sauce between Chris and I, lol. Chris ordered the Elk, which turned out to be the best selection, mine (the venison) not so much. I thought the Mushrooms were a bit too dehydrated and the meat had a liver taste and consistency, I took it home. The mashed potatoes had a hint of truffle, but were a little loose. The broccoli was tasty, fresh and crunchy. We celebrated Chris’s Birthday with a tiramisu, our server came out singing Happy birthday, which was really nice. The complimentary bread with sautéed eggplant and herbs was a nice touch as well :)

You don’t feel rushed, even though there’s other patrons waiting to be seated.

The prices were great for the quality of food. We were treated very well by the staff and they continued to serve us through the night without having to be flagged down. The restaurant gives off vibes as if you’re dining in Italy at a family home.

Another plus is there’s...

My wife and I had our wedding dinner at IL Cenacolo on the outside patio in late September and it was absolutely heavenly. IL Cenacolo means "The Last Supper" in Italian and that is exactly what this meal was. Every single course (antipasto bar, warm appetizers, pasta course, main course, and desert bar) was indescribably delicious, beautiful, endless, and served at perfect intervals (we were able to stand up, socialize, and digest in between each one). The hit of the night was the lobster ravioli and it was to die for! The patio, tables, and menus were set up beautifully to match the occasion and the service was wonderful. Rita was amazing, beyond generous, and extremely accommodating. Her and her staff wanted us to have the best time and feel at home and they did anything and everything to make that possible for us. Rita is incredibility gifted in hospitality and doing everything with care down to the finest detail (my wife is gluten-free and Rita even went out of her way to make gluten-free variations of the pasta course dishes just for her). There aren't many like Rita out there. She is truly the best and IL Cenacolo is in a league of its own, so much so that my wife's 74-year-old, 100% Italian father said it was the best meal and Italian dining experience he's ever had in his life! We know our family will be talking about our time at IL Cenacolo for the rest of our lives. Thank you so much Rita and IL Cenacolo for an unforgettable wedding dinner, we will undoubtedly be back for an anniversary in the...

My favorite part of dinner here is the antipasto...it is charcuterie that goes on for days. Meats and cheeses are my weakness, and I was not disappointed. And there is so much more than meats and cheeses...there's beans and artichokes and olives and peppers upon peppers...just a delicious way to start the meal. If you're feeling more like seafood (which I am usually not), then try the Calamari, or for the more open-mided, the Grilled Octopus.

The next thing you will notice is that there are around 25 specials (or so it seems), and the wait staff can recite all of them by heart...amazing to hear. Most likely, you will find your meal on this list. If not, the regular menu is amazing. Everything from lamb to duck to rabbit to filet mignon, plus amazing salads and pasta dishes. My favorites are the Bolognese and the Alla'Amatriciana. One particular dish that my wife and sister-in-law like is the House Special--homemade pasta with white truffle sauce.

The Northern Tuscan fare is accentuated by the beautiful interior. It's like walking into an old-world wine cellar on an estate in the hills of Italy. They have a great bar and charming decor on every wall and beam in the place. There is also limited outdoor seating...under a roof and near a small pond...perfect for date night....