Dinner
Il Vinaio doesn't look like much from the outside. It resides in an older building which resembles a diner built circa 1965. Inside, however, is a whole different story. The restaurant has a large area in the middle that is mainly open and provides room for the live music. The upper part of the central area has wine related quotes on the walls. It's a nice touch and it adds some airiness to the layout. On either side of this central area is more seating. The tables are cozy and some even have small loveseat-like benched pulled up to them on one side. This was a nice touch and my date and I were able to sit next side by side and be view the band (and each other) well. That set up is also conducive for sharing food.
There is a bar in the back corner of the restaurant and that seemed to be the most popular spot because there were only a few other patrons in the restaurant outside of the bar area (pretty empty for a Friday night). The live music is a nice touch, but it can get a little loud, so I'd recommend sitting away from the center of the restaurant if you want any chance of carrying on a conversation.
The wine list is a nice size and is good quality overall. There are plenty by the glass and some only by the bottle. Prices were kind of all over the map: from 1.5 - 3.0x retail. In general, if you opt for the cheapest wine on the menu, you're usually getting ripped off. I was pleasantly surprised to see a Consilience Syrah on the menu ($11/glass), so we ordered that. It was absolutely lovely, with rich fruit and a smooth, lingering finish.
The food is basically a hodgepodge of Italian meets Greek meets Spanish combined with a little bit of whatever the chef feels like today. The menu broken in to Starters (apps and salads) and Entrees (fish, meat, and pasta dishes). As you know, I'm a fan of sharing food because it means you get to try more from the menu. Here's a rundown of what we ordered:
- Classico Bruschetta - This was pretty much what you'd expect ingredient-wise: tomatoes, garlic, basil, and Parmesan on toasted bread. However, this was probably the best bruschetta I've ever eaten (and I've had my share, trust me). The bread was toasted perfected in olive oil; slight crunchy on the outside, yet soft in the middle. The tomatoes were so juicy and flavorful that we were fighting over them. The one warning I will give is that there is no lack of garlic on this.
- Caesar Salad - Perfect size for sharing. This came with more of those yummy diced tomatoes on top, which I like on a Caesar. The dressing was very nice, with just enough pureed anchovies and garlic to give it a little kick without killing it. Croutons were good, but not great.
- Pasta Pomodoro -Angel hair pasta with fresh tomatoes (you sensing a meal theme here yet?), garlic, basil, and olive oil. Again, the tomatoes just rocked our world. The server split our dish for us, too, which I always appreciate. The pasta was good, but actually a tad bland. I rarely add salt to food after it's cooked, but this dish needed some and a dose of pepper flakes, too.
- Individual Apple Pie - The server may have been trying to get into my date's good graces, but this dessert just appeared without us ordering it. We weren't complaining, though, because it was very good. Basically, it was a large ramekin lined with puff pasty, filled with apple pie goodness, and baked. Then topped with vanilla bean ice cream and a little caramel. The pastry was awesome as was the ice cream. The apples were good, but it was a bit much for me after the prior 3 courses. We put a nice dent in it tho, and there wasn't a scrap of puff pastry to be found on it...
The service was really top notch and they were very attentive. We also got to chat with both the manager and the owner. The food was solid and the wine selection was very good (beer choices are nice, too). Now whether downtown Mesa is ready for what Il Vinaio is offering is another story and I think that's biggest issue they face. The Mesa Center for the Arts is amazing and it's right down the street, so hopefully concert and theater goers will stumble upon this restaurant. But what I think would help Il Vinaio the most is some competition. My thoughts on this are that when you have a single, high quality restaurant surrounded by lower budget eateries, it's harder to draw the crowd to you. However, if there were a few higher quality restaurants in that area, well now you have something to attract more people. When one place is busy, you go to the next one over and check it out. That's why Scottsdale is money for many new restaurants because the hungry crowds are already there. Il Vinaio deserves to succeed and I hope that Mesa encourages similar caliber restaurants to set up shop.
Overall Grade = B+ (Very Good)
The EV Foodie
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