Sal e Pepe Contemporary Italian Bistro and Sal e Pepe Express:

Fine Dining + Alternative Takeout = A Quality Experience

“The Secret of Life is Enjoying the Passage of Time” reads the whimsical mirror on the wall at Sal e Pepe Contemporary Italian Bistro at 97 South Main Street. It is a philosophy that owners Angelo and Renia Marini convey in the warm, familial atmosphere of the restaurant that opened in the South Main Marketplace in November 2005.

“It’s a come-as-you-are, sort of neighborhood feel here, where you will probably run into someone you know. You could call it ‘polished casual,’ I guess,” said Angelo.

Rich tones of blue, terra cotta, and gold coat the walls of the bar and main dining room, with booths along one wall offering a sense of privacy. Tables for two to six are topped with white table cloths suggesting an elegant yet comfortable style, and each of the tables is set with a different set of decorative salt and pepper shakers — hence the name of the restaurant, “Salt and Pepper.” The salt and pepper shaker theme is a favorite with regulars, said Angelo, some of whom have even brought back sets from their travels to give to the restaurant.

The dining area seats nearly 80 customers, but never with a sense of crowding. Colorful floral paintings decorate the walls, and mirrors reflect the natural light that pours through the delicately curtained front windows during the day.

Sal e Pepe also has an 800-square-foot deck where 40 diners can relish the outdoors seated at tables beneath oversized dark green umbrellas. Boxes of geraniums and petunias cascade over the railings, creating a garden atmosphere for enjoying a drink or a meal.

In addition, expanding into the space adjacent to the Bistro this month is the new Sal e Pepe Express, under the management of Tim Kearney. Sal e Pepe Express provides a quality takeout alternative and is open Monday through Saturday, from 7 am to 6 pm, for breakfast and lunch. The breakfast menu features breakfast burritos and sandwiches, home-smoked bacon from Butcher’s Best in Newtown, muffins baked on site, and H&H bagels from Manhattan. Gourmet wraps and panini sandwiches are on the lunchtime menu, and diners can indulge with a chocolate chunk cookie or brownies baked on premises. The Express also carries a line of prepared dinner foods such as homemade soups, stews, lasagnas, and pasta sauce, all made in the Sal e Pepe kitchen next door. Express customers can choose a cloth-covered indoor table (each with the signature set of salt and pepper shakers) or take meals to go.

Angelo is on the premises nearly every day overseeing the operation. It is an atmosphere in which he is very comfortable, having been in the restaurant business since 1985, when his father opened Monica’s in Stamford. The planned one-year stint helping out at Monica’s after getting his degree in finance at UConn turned into a ten-year run when his father fell ill, and he took over. In 1997, Angelo opened What’s Cooking Deli in Fairfield, running it until 2006, one year after taking the opportunity to open Sal e Pepe. “I’m not the 9 to 5 kind of person, so the restaurant business appeals to me,” said Angelo.

Under the deft direction of Executive Chef Carlos Pineda, formerly of Aqua in Westport and Solé in New Canaan, the kitchen turns out an impressive array of northern Italian dishes with a global twist, and 20 pounds of freshly made linguini, fettuccine, and lasagna noodles each day, as well as specialty raviolis stuffed with lobster, roasted pork, beef, and veal, porcini mushrooms, or duck.

The restaurant is devoted to using top quality, local ingredients when available, said Angelo. It has partnered with Cherry Grove Farm in Newtown to grow produce selected exclusively for Sal e Pepe. The ice cream on the dessert menu is from Ferris Acres Creamery on Route 302, and most premium meats are supplied by Steve Ford of Butcher’s Best in Newtown, and the hormone and antibiotic-free lamb is procured locally from Sepe Farm in Sandy Hook.

Diners can enjoy appetizers such as lobster spring rolls, fried calamari, or a baked artichoke dip, ranging from $9.95 to $12.95.

Crisp romaine, mixed greens, or baby arugula form the base for the salad options on the Sal e Pepe menu, and two of the salads, the Mista and the Caesar, are available in small or large sizes. Light eaters will also appreciate the individually sized pizzettes.

Light ricotta gnocchi with a Bolognese meat joins more than half a dozen other pasta dishes on the dinner menu. For other entrees, diners often go for the Black Angus rib eye steak or the grilled pistachio-encrusted salmon, said Angelo. Dinner entrees are $17.95 to $29.95.

Mashed gorgonzola potatoes, broccoli rabe, or wild mushroom risotto are among the side dishes that can be ordered with a meal.

The bar, located near the entrance of the restaurant, is cozy, and customers can belly up to the polished black granite bar that seats ten, or find a spot at one of several tall tables and watch a concert DVD playing softly on the flat-screen television. Happy hour is Monday through Friday from 4:30 to 6:30 pm, with a complimentary item from a bar menu accompanying the drink order.

The wine list is frequently updated and features a number of California wines, as well as varieties from Oregon, Italy, and France. Ten wines are available by the glass at all times, as well as daily specials of a white and red wine by the glass.

Renia Marini does the bulk of the dessert baking for Sal e Pepe, where knowledgeable diners save room for treats like the tiramisu-tini, served in a martini glass, or the fried banana cheesecake, a pastry-wrapped delight served with raspberry sauce.

Daily specials offered each day expand the menu at lunch and dinner. All items on the menu for Sal e Pepe Contemporary Italian Bistro or for Sal e Pepe Express are available for takeout by calling 203-426-0805. Menus can be seen at salepeperestaurant.com.

If the secret to enjoying life means good food, good company, and a welcoming atmosphere, Angelo and Renia Marini hope that customers will find it at Sal e Pepe.

Sal e Pepe Contemporary Italian Bistro is at 97 South Main Street (Route 25) in the South Main Marketplace. The restaurant is open Monday through Thursday, from 11 am to 9 pm; Friday from 11 am to 10 pm; Saturday from 4 to 10 pm; and Sunday from 4 to 9 pm. Closed for lunch Saturday and Sunday. Sal e Pepe Express is located next door, serving breakfast, lunch, and prepared foods, Monday through Saturday, 7 am to 6 pm. Major credit cards are accepted. Reservations for the Bistro are recommended; call 203-426-0805.