Good Food is a Healthy Way to Escape

Each week Monroe Patch offers one great idea for escaping the monotony of daily life. Coinciding with March as National Nutrition Month, my husband and I decided to enjoy a healthy and delicious Italian dinner at Il Palio, a restaurant located at Five Corporate Drive in the nearby Huntington section of Shelton. 

Chef Margherita Aloi, a native of a small village in the Piedmont region of Italy, has created a menu featuring authentic Italian cuisine. Everything is freshly made each day and Margherita uses only high-quality, organic ingredients. This maximizes the amount of nutrients provided in each dish. 

I started out with a ‘winter salad’ which contained fennel, mixed greens and slivered radishes. It’s more natural to use seasonal produce and vegetables that haven’t been hauled across the country in a truck or traveled in large crates to the dining room via a jet airliner. The vibrant colors on the plate in front of me proved that these vegetables were of the highest quality. With each forkful of salad, I felt like my body received an infusion of vitamins. 

My entrée was salmon topped with a Dijon mustard and herb dressing. It was light and tangy and delicious. The fresh fish lay on top of a mound of savory spinach and mushrooms sautéed in garlic and oil. When I finished every bite on my plate, I felt sad that the meal was nearly over. 

For dessert, I chose to have a fresh fruit plate and decaf coffee. 

Eating well is good for the body and the soul. As we relaxed and sipped our coffees, Mark turned to me and said, “When was the last time we did this? Ten years ago?” He was probably right! 

In celebration of eating healthy this month, visit Il Palio and let Margherita prepare a nutritious meal for you.  Your body will thank you! Like me, you also might be inspired to create some of the recipes at home.