Fayetteville, N.Y. — Avicoli’s Coal Fire in Fayetteville calls the dish Italian pot roast ($26.95). To me, it is steak pizzaiola.
My Italian-American family never ate pot roast like others in the neighborhood I grew up in the 1980s and 1990s. Our household’s version of the slow-roasted chuck roast and vegetables was braised in tomato sauce, not beef stock, in the Neapolitan tradition.
The first bite transported me to my childhood, especially as I committed the same sin of burning the roof of my mouth on a potato as I often did as a kid. The beef absorbed the chunky tomato and herb sauce well, while the halved potatoes and carrot chunks offered additional flavors and substance.
Italian pot roast with potatoes and carrots over creamy polenta at Avicolli’s Coal Fire, Fayetteville, N.Y. (Jared Paventi | [email protected])Jared Paventi | jaredpaventi@gma
At the base was a creamy herbed polenta packed with cheese that offered a light influence on the dish’s overall flavor while bulking up the already hearty dish. Ordinarily, I would complain that there wasn’t any bread to mop up the sauce, as it was that good, but I barely made a dent before pushing back from the table and asking for a box.
Our first visit to Avicolli’s Coal Fire in 2019 was memorable for the wrong reasons, but we approached our visit with an open mind to measure how the restaurant has grown and changed over the past five years. The dining room felt far less crowded than before, and our service was overwhelmingly personable. She empathized and laughed with us for using our smartphones’ flashlights to read the menu, a product of a dark dining space and eyes falling victim to middle age. And the food spoke for itself.
We arrived earlier than our reservation time and made our way to the bar for cocktails and the end of a Syracuse University basketball game on television. Both the Italian margarita and Italian paloma ($13 each) were riffs on the tequila-based drinks. For the margarita, amaretto substituted for triple sec, imparting a nutty flavor that complemented the liquor. Fizz was the focus of the paloma, which substituted grapefruit soda for juice. Both were refreshing without being too sweet. We stayed with Italian-inspired cocktails later on in the evening with a Bellini ($12) using housemade peach puree, and a bitter amaro-forward Negroni ($9).
The Emilia Romana with sausage and rappi at Avicolli’s Coal Fire, Fayetteville, N.Y. (Jared Paventi | [email protected])Jared Paventi | jaredpaventi@gma
The restaurant takes part of its name from the coal-fired oven adjacent to the bar, which produces pizzas, calzones and some menu items. Our Emilia Romana pizza (12-inch for $17.95) offered a springy dough topped with housemade sausage, sautéed rappi, garlic and mozzarella. Rappi, a bitter, leafy green vegetable not regularly found at local restaurants, played wonderfully off the sausage, which had an intense fennel flavor. It was an attention-worthy pizza.
Our coal-fired burrata affogato starter ($16.95) was also a winner. A cast-iron skillet of spicy marinara full of crushed red pepper and melted burrata was presented with toasted bread as the vessel for carrying the cheese and sauce. The creamy center of the burrata imparted a milky flavor to the sauce, tempering some of the spice while giving it richness.
Coal-fired burrata affogato, a starter at Avicolli’s Coal Fire, Fayetteville, N.Y. (Jared Paventi | [email protected])Jared Paventi | jaredpaventi@gma
Baked rigatoni ($17.95) is one of a dozen pasta dishes on the menu. The simple blend of tubular pasta, marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese punched above its weight because of the sauce. It had the hallmark sour flavor, enhanced with herbs and garlic, elevating the dish beyond a typical baked pasta.
Desserts were good, but unremarkable compared to the rest of the meal. The housemade tiramisu ($9.95), full of espresso flavors and dense sweetened cheese, was housemade and served in a tapered rocks glass. It was a pretty ordinary, very good version. The cylindrical chocolate overload ($11.95) seated layers of white, milk, and dark chocolate mousses atop a layer of Genovese sponge cake. It was fine.
Food, like smells, can spark memories. Avicolli’s combination of popular Italian dishes with niche regional preparations did just that for me, rinsing away the memory of our 2019 visit and leaving me wondering when we will return. Hopefully, it will be early enough in the evening when there might be sunlight to aid in reading the menu.
The Details
The Restaurant: Avicolli’s Coal Fire, 104 Limestone Plaza, Fayetteville; (315) 637-5800.
Takeout/Delivery? Orders can be placed by phone and through their website.
Reservations? Yes, by phone and online at their website.
Credit cards? Yes, with no surcharge.
Noise level: The dining room is intimate and conversations bled between tables.
Access to the disabled: There are stairs from the main entry area to the dining room. There is an accessible door from the side patio. The restaurant has a dedicated accessible bathroom.
Parking: On-street parking in front of the building and along Brooklea Drive.
Alcoholic Beverages: Full bar.
Special diets? Vegetarians and dairy-free diners can navigate the menu easily. Gluten-free dishes are available but you will want to ask about preparation and cross-contamination.
Children’s menu? Yes.
Hours: Sunday, noon to 9 p.m.; Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Cost: Dinner for two with beverages, starters, entrees, desserts, tax, and 20% gratuity, was $187.13.
****
Jared Paventi is a restaurant critic for syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Facebook, Instagram, or BlueSky. Sign up for our free weekly Where Syracuse Eats newsletter here.
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