Right At Home
The Clinton Restaurant
09-17 Clintonville St., Whitestone, NY, 11357
(718) 746-4800
Sun.-Mon.: Noon to 10 p.m.; Tue.-Thu.: Noon to 11 p.m.; Fri.-Sat.: Noon to Midnight;
Cuisine: Italian
Delivery: No
Credit Card: Yes, Visa, MasterCard, Discover
When my friend Jessica and I walked through the doors of Clinton Restaurant, we knew there was something special about it. The family-owned establishment, which had been passed down for three generations, had such a warm ambiance and made us feel right at home.
The first thing we noticed about the place was its atmosphere. There was just something about it that reminded Jessica, a full-blooded Italian, about her grandmother’s cooking.
The pleasant staff and their warm smiles also set the mood for a great dinner, even before we reached our seats.
Like in a traditional Italian home, we began our meal with warm bread and some soup. We both tried our hand at the lobster bisque, and it was a creamy delight. The bisque was just the right contrast of sweet and salty and the fresh pieces of lobster in it made our taste buds tingle.
We went with seafood appetizers and sampled Clinton’s calamari and their baked clams. The clams were done well and served with a unique flavored sauce that gave it that little extra kick to make it just right. The calamari was also done well – fried just right and served with a homemade marinara sauce.
For our main course, Jessica and I split two dishes – the Chicken Florentina and the Shrimp Fra Diavolo, served with mussels and clams. I was blown away by the Chicken Florentina, which featured a vast number of ingredients like scaloppini, mushrooms and proscuitto. I have had the dish before, but I’ve never tasted so many different flavors that enhanced the dish the way it did at Clinton.
The Shrimp Fra Diavolo, one of Jessica’s favorite dishes, was also delicious. It was just the right amount of spicy and the clams and mussels served with the meal were a good fit. It is also important to note the shrimp, and all of Clinton’s seafood, tasted very fresh and was served with original flavors.
-Natalia Kozikowska