Sette e Venti, Bedford Hills
A warm welcome awaits customers when they enter the newly opened Sette e Venti in Bedford Hills.
Its amiable proprietor, Maurizio Belli of Yonkers, a 35-year restaurant veteran, offers the best in authentic southern Italian cuisine, the kind Belli grew up on as a child in Patrica, a small town southeast of Rome.
The restaurant’s extensive menu is also a reflection of his late mother’s cooking style. Two main course dishes that are offered were staples in the Belli household: the Trofie alla Mediterranea, a combination of pasta twists with swordfish, eggplant, fresh tomato and arugula; and the Strozzapreti Con Ragu di Vitello e Funghi, rope-shaped pasta with veal ragu and porcini mushrooms.
More than anything else, Belli, who came to the United States with his family when he was 14, wants diners to enjoy southern Italy’s diverse and elegant cuisine in a family-friendly atmosphere.
“This is the food I grew up with,” said Belli, “the classic southern Italian cuisine that’s more than what you’ll find in a typical Italian-American restaurant.”
There are quite a few dishes on the dinner menu that may seem unusual. There’s the Polpettine Di Pesce, an appetizer of seafood meatballs over a bed of lettuce, or the Polpettine Di Carne, which consists of veal and pork meatballs. Suppli, which Belli describes as an Italian “street food,” is another favorite antipasti offering. The dish is a Roman food classic and consists of a rice croquette stuffed with mozzarella. Also on the antipasti menu is the Spiedino Alla Romana, an Italian-style grilled cheese sandwich that is considered by Belli to be a classic southern Italian “throwback.”
While Belli influences the menu’s offerings, 90 percent of which is gluten-free, he does have a chef to cook much of the restaurant’s offerings. But that doesn’t mean this self-taught cook is about to retire his chef’s hat any time soon. In fact, he still cooks at the restaurant, and his humble beginnings at an Arthur Avenue pizzeria/restaurant are where Belli sharpened his culinary skills.
“I learned from the chefs and I picked everyone’s brain,” said Belli.
Owning a full-service restaurant was always something Belli wanted. In 1992, he first opened Gianfranco’s Gourmet Pizza & Pasta, which is located next to Sette e Venti. It is now run by his son, Anthony.
“I found that being in the pizza business helped me come out of my shell,” said the soft-spoken restaurateur. “These days I love talking to and dealing with people. There’s not one day when I can’t say I don’t want to be here.”
In addition to the chicken, steak, veal and seafood at Sette e Venti, there are often specials consisting of rabbit, duck, oxtails and short ribs. A children’s menu includes staples such as ravioli, penne, chicken fingers and spaghetti, although Belli said they can, at a moment’s notice, provide other options for fussy youngsters.
All of Sette e Venti’s desserts are made from scratch daily, including the delicious Deconstructed Cannoli, a secret recipe served in a fancy dessert glass. The restaurant is also stocked with 32 different types of wine, many of them on display close to the bar area, where patrons can also grab a bite to eat.
Half-priced drinks and a $5 menu from the bar are available Monday through Thursday. The restaurant is currently accepting reservations for holiday parties and other celebrations, in addition to offering a catering service for small and large gatherings.
Sette e Venti is open Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday 12 to 9 p.m. It’s located at 720 N. Bedford Rd. in Bedford Hills.
To make a reservation for six or more people, call 914-218-8321 or email 720setteventi@gmail.com. For more information, visit www.setteeventi.com.
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