Amis Trattoria Switches to Sharable, Family Style Italian Dining

A smattering of colorful dishes represents what you should do at Amis…order a bunch, put your elbows up, grab a spoonful, and dig in.

When CTbites last left Amis Trattoria in October of 2020, the Italian-inspired restaurant adopted a fresher, more fun approach. It’s still fresh and fun, only with an idea that executive chef Jes Bengston wanted to implement just under a year ago. The thought for Amis then was small, shared plates and heaps of handmade pasta meant to be passed around amongst your dining companions. Well, it’s here.  

“Everything is meant to be a taste or a bite,” Bengston says. “It should feel like you’re having dinner at your grandmother’s house. It’s how I eat, even when I went to Don Memo solo, I was kind of confused on what to order, but I still got a bunch of stuff so I could have a bite.”

One of the new smalls shows off diver scallops, pickled zucchini and carrots, lardo, and black garlic.

Like Bengston, I’m on the sharing bandwagon. Heck, you probably are, too. It’s why Amis’ antipasti refresh is a dozen dishes deep. You and your family or friends, or a mixture of the two, can pick at a shallow dish of citrusy, herby olives with a little heat from pickled fresno chilis or you can fight over who gets the last couple of pecorino and black pepper dusted cacio e pepe fries.

Spicy crab bruschetta that you may want to keep all to yourself.

Amis’ O.G. roots are sticking around, though. Crispy Brussels sprouts and those fat, tender, saucy old school meatballs are still favorites that aren’t going anywhere. Just expect less heavy fare to balance it out like spicy crab bruschetta with a burst of brightness from lemon aioli and some Calabrian chili heat. It’s a nice bite and no one would blame you for not sharing this particular plate.

Burrata and heirloom tomatoes (left) and a little gem Caesar (right)

Original Amis fans will be happy to see (and eat) that the bucatini with almond pesto, poblanos, and pecorino has found its way back on the menu.

The rest of the family style feast is all about “help yourself” salads using local, seasonal produce. To go along with your veggies, it has to be pasta. As always, it’s all homemade. Some are even vegetarian and one iteration of cacio e pepe is vegan. Not vegan, however, is another staple in a big, hearty bowl of rigatoni Bolognese. Much like the theme of this article, you’re best served to each order a different pasta and scoop up as much as your heart desires.

To drink, you’re likely not sharing more than a sip of your cocktail or beer, but wine is doable.

“If you want the house red or the house white, you get a big vat of it delivered to your table,” Bengston says. “In Italy, wine is meant to be NOT so fussy. We want it to be approachable. If you want a bottle, we have a wine fridge that we want people to go look at, read the label, and select their own bottle.”

The family style trend even continues when it’s time for dessert. Still rocking out the amazing pastry program is Marina White, who used to split her time between Amis, Terrain, and a local favorite in Flour Water Salt Bread. White is now doing the whole menu of sweets at Amis where you’ll see the likes of a plate of Italian cookies, Nutella tiramisu, fresh fried lemon ricotta donuts, and a refreshing, Sicilian-inspired Campari and blood orange granita atop vegan brioche.

What Amis and Bengston are going for besides an interactive, “try a bunch” experience is an affordable neighborhood restaurant without pretense. “It’s still Italian-ish, still fun, and we’re keeping prices down because we want you to come often,” she says.

1 Church Lane; Westport
203.514.4906; Amis Trattoria’s website