Click here to subscribe today or Login.
By T. MUNCH Times Leader Food Critic
Wednesday, March 05, 2003 Page: 1D
It would be so easy to drive right past this unassuming former insurance
agency painted purple on the Sans Souci Parkway.
Don’t.
Vino Dolce, which opened in December, is a pocket-size pasta palace worthy
of your patronage. The menu doesn’t dazzle with selections from untraveled
northern Italian nooks. The scampis, parmigianos and pastas are standard fare
at plenty of area restaurants, but Vino Dolce’s tender pasta – homemade and
hand cut daily – isn’t.
Vino Dolce (“sweet wine” in Italian) stands out for the freshness of its
ingredients and dishes.
It begins with the bread basket, filled with wedges of homemade focaccia
(Italian flat bread flavored with olive oil and herbs.) These tender,
inch-thick slabs of springy, flavorful bread are a delight dabbed in olive
oil. But go easy, you won’t want to load up.
From the Insalata menu, I ordered a salad of roasted red peppers ($7). The
12-inch bowl was loaded with slightly chilled peppers, plump capers, black
olives and loads of fresh garlic all dressed in olive oil. The smoky peppers
tasted so sweet, they bordered on the flavor of tomatoes.
The sole disappointment of the entire meal was the run-of-the-mill black
olives in the salad. With all the gourmet olives available, why settle for
something out of a can?
Our gracious waiter, a friendly, easygoing kid, served up the bruschetta
($7) next. He brought extra plates with each appetizer, knowing intuitively
that my wife and I would share with our two young sons.
Forget what you think you know about bruschetta. Vino Dolce’s masterpiece
in no way resembles skimpy French bread overbaked to the consistency of a
crouton, all slathered in a watery tomato slurry. Instead, take that same
wonderful focaccia, rub it with olive oil and garlic and top with fresh
tomatoes, basil and melted mild provolone. The sweet-yet-tart tomatoes are the
star of this show.
My 5-year-old clam man was pleased to see Clams “Vino Dolce” on the menu.
This consists of 13 (he counted them thrice) plump, steamed Rhode Island
clams, seasoned with Italian spices and vino. He offered this advice to his
less experienced, 3-year-old prospective clam-eating sibling: “The bigger
they are, the harder they are to get out of the shell.” Bonus tip: “The
green stuff (spices dusting the lip of the bowl) doesn’t taste like
anything.”
For dinner, I couldn’t choose between portabella mushroom and cheese
ravioli ($14) or homemade lasagna ($11). Our waiter broke the tie. “It’s wet
and damp outside,” he said. “The lasagna will fill you up.”
The hearty lasagna was a good choice; not overladen with cheese, allowing
me to taste the freshness of the pasta. About 25 square inches of yum.
My wife asked about Vino Dolce’s specialties, learned the crab-stuffed
ravioli ($18) is quite popular, then chose a risotto dish (Italian arborio –
ovoid short-grain rice that’s creamy when cooked – spicy Italian sausage and
asiago, a hard grating cheese) from the daily special menu.
Our 3-year-old spluttered and reached for the water glass after sampling
Mom’s sausage. “That burns the heck out of me.” It has an interesting, smoky
bite but is quite manageable.
There is no children’s menu, but kids often split entrees at Vino Dolce,
according to our waiter. Ours divided meat ravioli ($12) and ate it all.
A word on children. Vino Dolce is a really, really intimate place. We’re
talking 10-small-table-tiny in the no-smoking section, maybe fewer by the bar.
Our pint-size diners are far from angels at home, but they can keep their
seats and voices low for 90 minutes out to eat. One rowdy kid (or adult, for
that matter) could ruin everybody’s meal.
Again, don’t be fooled by Vino Dolce’s modest exterior. Once through the
front door, the transition is remarkable. A beautiful cherry bar accented by
cherry woodwork throughout. Classy furnishings. Dim lighting. The perfect
place to pop the question – if you can be heard above the “Moonstruck”
soundtrack.
My older boy pledged to hold his ears all through dinner – until he
discovered he couldn’t cover his ears and wield a fork simultaneously.
For dessert, the Italian Love Cake ($4), is hands down the best cake I’ve
ever eaten in a restaurant. Generous layers of vanilla and chocolate cake
separated by a sweet Ricotta cheese filling, covered in a light chocolate
mousse frosting.
To die for, and I nearly did. I’m still nursing prong wounds to my right
hand. Next time, the boys get their own Love Cake.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Vino Dolce
WHERE: 824 Sans Souci Parkway, Hanover Township
CALL: 824-4055
CREDIT CARDS? Yes, major
HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE? Yes
SMOKING/NONSMOKING? Yes, adequately sectioned.
RESERVATIONS NECESSARY? Suggested. It’s a small place.
OTHER: Check out the menu, get directions or make reservations online by
visiting the Vino Dolce Web site at www.vino-dolce.com.