Restaurants in North Stamford

Nestled inside the Saugatuck Rowing Club, The Boathouse at Saugutuck, a Zagat-rated eatery, serves upscale American fare amid sweeping views of the lower Saugatuck River. Owner, chef, and part-time beer brewer John Holzwarth honed his craft under the tutelage of master chefs Fortunato Nicotra and Lidia Bastianich, and The Boathouse's menu reflects his love of creating seasonal dishes or reproductions of Mona Lisa from local, organic, and sustainable foods. The waterside restaurant tops linen-covered tables with red-wine-braised beef brisket served with roasted shallot and buckwheat polenta, fresh lobster, and homemade ravioli stuffed with heirloom apple or golden hubbard squash.

Tinto Tapas Bar, formerly known as, "Meigas Restaurant" is the brainchild of owners Carlos Hernandez and Mario Aguilar, a place where chefs artfully conjure authentic Spanish fare from fresh seafood, rich meats, and flowing wine. Each carefully arranged plate forms an edible monument to its Iberian components, such as suckling pig, and seared duck breast, which can be preceded by a cold tapas plate including grilled shrimp and avocado or a hot tapas plate such as boneless ox-tail stew and saffron poached pears. An elegant spiral staircase ascends through the restaurant's warmly lit interior, snaking past brick accents and art-laden walls, as well as past a private party room that holds up to 100. Outside, patio tables stand sentinel in front of gleaming front windows to safeguard Tinto Tapas Bar's epicurean delights from hungry police horses.

A bar of house-made sauces and salsas offers flavorful blends crafted from fresh ingredients that add surprise and spice to tacos, burritos, and quesadillas. The roster of fresh veggies, spiced meat, and organic house-made refried beans that form the base of all Picante! feasts are delivered daily, with unusual touches such as shredded cabbage and pickled onions providing unexpected twists in tacos more safely than hiding a brick under a tortilla. Soy cheese and whole-wheat tortillas add additional healthy touches to the lineup of vegetarian, low-carb, and low-fat options, and house-made tortilla chips deftly dip in and out of fresh guacamole and queso.

Behind the Zagat-rated restaurant's rich wooden bar, its tenders pour amber liquors from elegant crystal decanters and flood the curves of wine glasses with vintage varietals. Friendly, efficient servers move between plush couches and carved wooden pillars as they lay out Angus beef carpaccio and baked clams on the tables' white linens. In the kitchen, chefs douse black linguine, lobster tails, and veal in marinara or pesto to create their signature northern Italian fare. The dimly lit dining room strikes chords of old-world elegance with rich wooden accents, a gleaming black grand piano, and a Louis XIV impersonator who dabs diners' mouths with a bib.