LIKE its namesake, the restaurant Pinocchio can bring unexpected delight. One server, fully in the spirit of the mischievous wooden boy, announced one night that every dolce on the dessert tray had no calories; then, with a wink, he told us why the puppet has a long nose. Expect that laid-back charm on a slow night. When the place groans with diners, getting a waiter's attention, a well-paced meal or a correct description of specials requires some doing.
The wine list might have been good enough 20 years ago when diners were less sophisticated about wines, but nowadays Pinocchio's list needs updating. Almost all selections were unremarkable and without vintage notations, and many moderately priced bottles (under $50) were unavailable. Diners should ask about vintages or order wine by the glass.
The once-ambitious table menu has become a shadow of its former self. Pasta dishes endure, as do those with chicken and veal. Pinocchio, however, has eliminated its fish entrees, except for a couple listed among the detailed specials list (recited without prices). Not even ubiquitous shrimp scampi made the list.
Some of the kitchen's preparations were uneven. One evening, crusty Tuscan bread and cubes of fluffy focaccia slathered with thick tomato sauce might have come straight from the oven. But on another evening the focaccia was so soggy and so cold it must have come directly from the refrigerator.
Diners looking for an antipasto will be pleased with small artichokes, split and stuffed with chopped vegetables, cheese and loads of garlic; or with a special of mussels fra diavolo, a fine assembly of perfect mussels and warming, deeply flavored red sauce, worthy of mopping up with some of that Tuscan bread. But a salmon and scallop carpaccio, an $11 special, brought only a few transparent wafers of the fish overwhelmed by lettuce and tomato.
Most pasta dishes were full of brio. Spaghetti pazze mingled the pasta with a generous number of lovely little rock shrimp, fragrant garlic and a tinge of red pepper. Fettuccine Gepetto, a winner among winners, was a luscious mélange of homemade pasta, whole roasted garlic and creamy pesto, with chunks of smoky shiitakes on top.
Two special pastas were also topnotch: bucatini al'amatriciana, the satisfyingly thick noodle with tomato, onion, basil and exquisitely smoky bits of pancetta; and green pappardelle with morsels of salmon and a terrific mascarpone sauce. Another special, however, amounted to a disaster: rigatoni with mascarpone and mushrooms came with undercooked pasta in a thin sauce with slick mushrooms and no mascarpone.
The only beef on the menu was steak fiorentina, and although a departure from the pepper, salt and olive oil classic, added herbs and shallots did the decent meat no harm.
Two fish specials were acceptable: Slightly overdone John Dory was sprinkled with almonds and a pleasant citrus sauce; and wonderful shaved fennel gave character to a bland piece of salmon.
The kitchen was accommodating in preparing chicken with a choice of white or dark meat. A sweet-salty combination of golden raisins, pignoli, olives, tomato and prosciutto made a version of chicken Marengo a success. Two other chicken offerings, one with balsamic vinegar and the other with sage sauce, were simple but engaging.
Fresh fruit came wrapped in a heavy crèpe; just eat the fruit. Gelato, chocolate ganache, zecchino and a fruit-cream concoction called bomba were predictably sweet but hardly outstanding.
When Pinocchio is at its best, the food can transport diners to Italy; but sometimes it runs out of steam before reaching that shore.
Pinocchio
309 White Plains Road,
Eastchester. (914)337-0044.
Satisfactory
ATMOSPHERE -- Various Pinocchio figures and posters of Italian films and film stars decorate cheery, multilevel dining rooms. Efficient to disorganized service. Parking in back or in the lot across the street.
RECOMMENDED DISHES -- Mussels fra diavolo (special), stuffed artichokes, bucatini al'amatriciana (special), spaghetti pazze, fettuccine Gepetto, pappardelle with salmon (special), chicken balsamico, chicken Marengo, hazelnut gelato, fresh fruit.
PRICES -- Main dishes, $16 to$24; pasta dishes, $15 to $18, with half orders available for appetizer.
CREDIT CARDS -- Major cards accepted.
HOURS -- Dinner only, Tuesdays through Thursdays, 5 to 10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 5 to 11; Sundays, 5 to 9.
RESERVATIONS -- Accepted.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS -- Street level.
THE RATINGS -- Excellent. Very good. Good. Satisfactory. Poor.
Ratings reflect the reviewer's reaction primarily to food, with ambience and service taken into consideration. Menu listings and prices are subject to change.
