By Gretchen Webster

WESTPORT — The word that comes to mind on entering the newly remodeled and re-opened Finalmente Trattoria is “authentic.”

The menu — labeled a “shortcut to Italy” on the restaurant’s website — features Italian specialties such as the Antipasti Polpettini (veal meatballs in ricotta mousse with fresh basil), fresh pasta dishes including Orecchiette Vesuviane, and Griglia Del Giorno, listed on the menu as “tonight’s butcher selection.”

But what is perhaps the most authentic about the trattoria is owner Giuseppe Cinque, who came to the U.S. in his 20s and since then has had a career working in — and owning — Italian restaurants. 

“This restaurant is Italian 100 percent. Westport deserves this kind of authenticity,” said Cinque, who is energetic and welcoming.

Finalmente Trattioria, after undergoing renovations, reopened Tuesday under Cinque’s ownership. The restaurant, a staple of the downtown dining scene at 165 Post Road East for nearly two decades, was closed by the former owners last spring.

After taking over the business, he arranged to keep the same name and then remodeled and updated the dining area and kitchen. He has hired two award-winning chefs, who he said also have worked years in the field.

Previously, Cinque rehabilitated other restaurants that had closed, he said, and has owned restaurants in Milford and New Haven also dedicated to Italian food.

His latest, Finalmente Trattoria, is a place where diners will be able to enjoy classic Italian cuisine in a welcoming atmosphere.

American restaurants often misrepresent Italian dishes, Cinque said, by using herbs, spices and other ingredients that are not true to the original dish, which he said “camouflage” the intended flavors. 

In Cinque’s opinion, there are only four true cuisines — French, Italian, Mexican and Chinese — “and they have to be authentic.”

Cinque’s goal is to serve meals that offer “value, quantity and quality,” which he invites Westporters to enjoy.

Finalmente Trattoria, 165 Post Road East, serves lunch from noon to 3 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Sunday. The restaurant will be open Easter Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.

The restaurant also offers take-out and catering. For more information, call 203-226-8500 or email finalmentewestportct@gmail.com.

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Freelance writer Gretchen Webster, a Fairfield County journalist for many years, was editor of the Fairfield Minuteman and has taught journalism at New York and Southern Connecticut State universities.