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Rob's Review
Vespaio
My initial entrance into Vespaio was on a cold, rainy day in December. Since
the front door was locked I ambled around to the back and promptly took a
header on the slick cement. What an introduction! Enough, to perhaps, one
hyper-extended knee and two orthopedic visits later, allow a negative bias
to enter the review. Maybe someplace else but the food at Vespaio is so
damned good that it transcends pain and suffering. I can only offer
superlatives. And here they are.
Vespaio
is what Italians call a trattoria. A cafe, a casual place, a neighborhood
spot. And what a spot. For the antipasti, or appetizers, you must try the
Vongole al Forno, or baked clams with bread crumbs, garlic and olive oil.
And sample the Funghi con Palenta which is a grilled portabello mushroom and
polenta. Delisioso. Hey, if nothing else we'll work on your Italian a bit!
And
the pasta at Vespaio! I have two favorites that are so good I go through
withdrawals when I can only order one! The Pappardelle con Funghi a Crema is
a wide, ribbony kind of pasta with mushrooms and spinach in a brandy
tarragon cream sauce. I have eaten this hot from the kitchen at Vespaio and
actually got it to go one night and ate it the next evening. It was
wonderful on each occasion.
Then
the Linguini Alla Vongole! This classic East Coast dish is seldom done well
in Central Texas. But Vespaio's mix of linguini, which is a thicker pasta,
with little red neck clams, white wine, olive oil, garlic and basil, well,
now, that's Italian! And it's
sensational.
And
I've gotta tell you about one more dish. The Piccata de Vitello, which is a
gorgeous scallop of veal sautéed in butter, lemon, white wine, and caper
sauce rocks the house! And one more? The Grigliata Mista, or mixed grill of
seasonal vegetables, meats and seafood is awesome.
All
right, there's always a price to be paid for this kind of perfection, yes?
At the pocket book level, moderate. Most entrees in the $12 range. But time
is the price you pay. Long waits on most nights. My suggestion: arrive
early. If you don't, be prepared to become intimately acquainted with the
bar. That being said, this may be one of the few restaurants in a town where
waiting for dinner has become the norm where it's genuinely worth it.
Executive
Chef Alan Lazarus, formerly of Basil’s, cooks up a storm of brilliantly
executed Italian fare most nights at Vespaio. This is an adult restaurant,
so leave the kids at home and bring your spirit of culinary adventure. You
will not go unrewarded.
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