Italian Bakery, Deli, Eatery, All in One: Trattoria Biagio in Stirling

Trattoria Biagio
Stirling
239 Main Avenue
908-350-8064

Open: Breakfast, lunch and dinner, Tues–Sun

Price: $/$$ BYO

Style: A bakery, deli and Italian eatery with an adjacent dining room offering polished cuisine in an elegant setting.

The Scoop: Biagio Iuliano and his wife, Carmela Arale, who have run the eatery since 2003, moved it from Long Hill to Stirling in 2011. In 2016, they ventured a major expansion that elevated both atmosphere and fare.

The Menu: For breakfast, start with sticky buns , airy croissants or an egg, cheese and meat sandwich on fresh-baked ciabatta. Lunch offers nearly 50 options, including sandwiches such as a hot Italian-style cheese steak with marinara and mozzarella and a cold Sloppy Biagio, with ham, turkey, Swiss and coleslaw on house-baked multigrain. Sicilian pizza is sold by the slice. Dinner raises the bar with starters like silky beef meatballs in “Nonna’s” tomato sauce. House-made pastas and entrées include a winning osso buco and salmon. Specials, such as seafood fra diavolo with squid-ink pasta (pictured), are worth trying, as are sides such as crisp Brussels sprouts with bacon. No room for dessert? Take home pignoli-nut cookies or a “lobster tail” pastry filled with Chantilly cream.

Heads Up: Biagio’s offers wines from Beneduce Vineyards in Pittstown. On Sundays, stop by the bakery for fresh doughnuts.