Neapolitan Style Italian
Tomato Soup, January 2007
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Or visit the website.
Best Italian Wine List
Rhode Island Monthly, December, 2006
Click here to read.
Get Your Fix
Rhode Island Monthly, October, 2006
Click here to read.
Your Table is Ready
FindRI.com, January, 2006
Click here to read.
Gourmet Greatness
The Phantom Gourmet, January, 2005
Click here to read.
Make a Special Trip
Rhode Island Monthly, January, 2004
Click here to read.
Comfort and Joy
Providence Monthly, December 3, 2003
Click here to read.
Pane e Vino is in a Class of its Own
Federal Hill Gazette, December, 2003
Click here to read.
Pane e Vino is a new jewel on Federal Hill
LIVE, The Providence Journal, November 14, 2002
Click here to read.
Best Itailian Wine List
Rhode Island Monthly, December, 2006
With a wine list made up entirely of Italian varieties, you’ll find classics from Umbria, Abruzzo, Sicily, and Piedmont. They’re even conscientious enough to let you know which grapes are used in their Super Tuscans. Pane E Vino, 365 Atwells Avenue, Providence, 401.223.2230.
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Get Your Fix
Rhode Island Monthly,October, 2006
Dinner at Pane e Vino is like spending an evening with your favorite Italian relatives. There’s the small, inviting bar with Frank Sinatra crooning in the background, plus the soothing décor - rich, ochre-colored walls and warm hardwood floors. And there’s Michele, the friendly manager, who reminds diners that Monday is an especially good night to come here because the wine list is half price. “No exception,” she instructs. One example: a 1999 Carpineto Farnito, a silky Tuscan. It’s a $70 splurge that costs only $35 on Monday. (The same bottle retails for $40 next door at Gasbarro’s.)
The menu is rustic Neapolitan comfort food: fresh ingredients prepared simply with appealing results. First courses include bruschetta topped with tomato chunks and ripped basil, and drizzled in extra virgin olive oil, as well as a Caesar salad; hearts of romaine, a nutty shaved Grana Padano, with a pungent traditional dressing. The pasta entrees are hearty comfort food served in a traditional Italian casserole. There’s an irresistible robustness to the rigatoni and the gnocchi delights: tiny potato pillows with fresh basil and cherry tomatoes and creamy buffalo mozzarella. The Pollo alla Piccata entrée is a pan-seared breast in a lemon caper wine sauce, lightly crisp on the outside though still tender and juicy. Your server may insist on picking your dessert: “Tiramisu!” He’s kidding. With the prix-fixe menu, the tiramisu is the only choice, and even if you’re not a fan, this light-as-air version served with fresh strawberries will win you over.
Offered Sunday through Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. (regular menu also available). $19.95 per person. Includes appetizer, entrée and dessert. 365 Atwells Avenue, Providence, 401.223.2230, panevino.net.
Pane
e Vino is a new jewel on Federal Hill
LIVE, The Providence Journal, November 14, 2002
By Michael Janusonis
Journal Arts Writer
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayam promises that happiness can be yours with "A
Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread and Thou."
Pane e Vino, the dazzling new jewel in the Federal Hill restaurant scene, translates
from the Italian as "bread and wine,” but it has a lot more going
for it than simply that.
I was so excited about the Neapolitan-influenced food here after my first visit
late last summer, just weeks after Pane e Vino opened for business in a place
that for 80 years was a hardware store, I was pushing for it to be reviewed
in LIVE. After my second visit I was convinced there was something special going
on here. And so finally the editor said, “Go ahead, review it yourself.”
I’ld fallen so much in love with the entree I’d ordered on that visit
- a braised veal stew with shiitake mushrooms tossed with ribbon-like spinach
pappardelle (spezzatino alla campagnolo” - $17.95) that I longed to try
it again. The little shredded pieces of veal - cooked, executive chef Kevin
DiLibero told me later for 21/2 to 3 hours - made for the ultimate comfort food,
a tomato gravy so hearty and filling that I’d vowed that I would soon return
just to order it as a takeout.
But then I recalled that on my second visit I had been also tempted to order
just exactly what I’d had on my first visit - veal scallopine, served with
tangy prosciutto, buffalo mozzarella smothered in a feisty tomato sauce and
a homemade parmigiano potato cake (“saltimbocca alla Sorrentina” -
$19.95).
Two visits. Two veal dishes. But each superb.
So on my third - and review visit - I felt I should once again press on and
try a different dish… even a different appetizer.
On my first visit, I’d been so enthralled with the native littleneck clams
in a garlicky tomato broth with cannellini beans (“vongole alla Napoletana”
$8.95) that I’d ordered it again on my second visit. The clams were plump
and luscious, just as expected. But the beans added a new taste sensation to
the kind of appetizer I’ve often eaten in other restaurants, where it was
always served with broths that were either “red or white.”
This cannellini-clam dish demanded an order of extra bread to sop up every last
lip-smacking morsel of its brother, even though the dish already comes with
a pair of long bread slices cleverly placed on the plate to look like a pair
of wings ready to fly off with it. Pretty to look at, even more satisfying to
the palate.
Full bodied Italian bread
The bread, by the way, is crusty, full-bodied Italian that comes from Olga’s
Cup and Saucer. You can have it with butter or olive oil, to which your server
will offer the addition of snips of fresh oregano or red or black pepper.
Because the Pane in his restaurant’s name means “bread,” owner
Joe DeQuattro had hoped to offer an array of authentic Italian breads made in-house.
That would have completed the homey feeling of the place, which has been transformed
into a trattoria that would fit right into southern Italy: polished wood floors,
and rich wood wainscoting, big windows that open into Atwells Avenue in siena,”
which gives the place a rustic, warm feeling.
What DiLibero and sous chef Erin Armour do make is carta di musica, a crunchy
unleavened Italian flat bread that’s delicious, though not very amenable
to being dipped into the olive oil on a plate. However, it proved to be a wonderful
scooper later on, when it came time to plunge into the last dregs of the walnut
truffle cream sauce that smothered my friend’s half-moon pasta filled with
portobello mushroom and truffle oil (“agnolotti al tartufo” - $17.95).
This dish truly was a slice of heaven: three large, fat, half-moon-shaped raviolis
stuffed to bursting with minced portobello. But it was the sauce, a woodsy and
pungent, that practically had us licking the dish so as not to miss a delectable
drop. Boy, if DiLibero could bottle that stuff, he’d make a fortune. As
our knowledgeable and extremely helpful waitress said, “You can’t
go wrong with truffle oil.” Certainly not!
Gnocchi in a brown sauce
The dish was such a success that it made my friend almost forget how much he’d
love the gnocchi on the first two visits.
The first time, it was the house dish of small potato dumplings baked with fresh
mozzarella and San Marzano tomatoes (gnocchi alla sorrentina” - $14.95)
that had won his heart, the puffy dumplings surprisingly light though very filling.
On his second visit, it was that night’s special - gnocchi in a brown sauce
with wild boar - $17.95. It was more like a beef stew than the kind of pork
dish I was expecting, with a deep, rich - though not gamey - flavor. DiLibero
explains that the boar is braised in port wine and “finished with a bit
of chocolate ganache, and seasoned with paprika and salt.” The dish, he
said, was created by request to accompany the restaurant’s first wine dinner,
and was so successful that it still occasionally turns up as a special.
We began our third visit not with the littlenecks and cannellini, though we
heard them calling, but with “calamari fritti” - $8.95. Yes, that
translates as fried squid, but I’d failed to read the small print on the
menu. Rather than coming from the Fryolater hidden under batter, as fried calamari
do just about everywhere else, these are sauteed in the pan. Consequently, the
calamari don’t have as much batter clinging to them and are tender, with
a more defined sense of the squid itself. They were served with gaeta olives
and what the menu describes as hot cherry peppers, though they seemed less hot
than most other places I’ve had the dish.
We also tried the nightly special appetizer - green-lipped mussels in a fragrant
broth that was also worthy of extra bread for dipping - $8.95. Our waitress
said this dish also turns up occasionally on the menu. It should.
Desserts were superb
The appetizers were on the table and we still hadn’t ordered the entrees.
I toyed with the catch of the day, a sort of poached sole with a side of fusilli
pasta, but finally decided on the “linguine puttanesca” - olives,
capers and anchovies in a San Marzano plum tomato sauce tossed with pasta (linguine
in this case) - $13.95. Shortly afterward, I almost reconsidered when I saw
the grilled veal chop with a mushroom demi-glace and baked sweet potato (“costoletta
di vitello al funghi” - $29.95) land on a nearby table.
But puttanesca it was. For one thing, you don’t often find this rustic
Neapolitan dish on menus. Plus, because I often make it at home myself, I wanted
to see how DiLibero fixed it.
It was very good, although a mite saltier than I’d expected, especially
considering there were far fewer anchovies than I use. But there were many more
capers, as well as different olives - whole gaeta olives versus my chopped oil-cured
black olives. A matter of taste.
Deserts were superb.
My “tortina di cioccolato” ($6.50) was a warm mound of chocolate cake
bursting with a lava-like river of gooey chocolate sitting between two scoops
of mixed-fruit sorbet that seemed mostly raspberry. It was a happy marriage
of flavors.
My friend’s maple creme brulee ($5.50) was everything we’d hoped,
a creamy confection of sugar, cream and maple syrup with a sugary, slightly
crunchy crust created by torching the dish just before serving.
On our previous visit, though I was already taking home leftovers of what veal
stew, we’d ordered the fresh fruit tart (“crostata di frutta fresca”
- $7.50). That night it had been topped with ricotta, sliced with Granny Smith
apples in a cinnamon sauce and a dollop of vanilla gelato with a mint sprig
stuck in it, making it look like a white apple. It was as delicious as it was
a delight to behold. The fruit changes nightly, however. On this visit, the
fruit topping was a mix of apples and blueberries that the folks at a neighboring
table said was superb.
Wine Guidance
Yet what about the vino part of the restaurant’s name?
DeQuattro, previously a partner in Narragansett’s 1200 Ocean Grille, has
an extensive, exclusively Italian wine list chosen to accompany the Neapolitan
cuisine. You can order 26 of the wines by the glass, an extraordinary number
for any restaurant. DeQuattro employs a rebottling system that acts a vacuum
to extract oxygen and reseal the by-the-glass bottles each time. Red wines are
stored in a “cellar” at 61 degrees.
If you just want to enjoy the wines, you can sit at the warm-looking bar, which
is separated from the rest of the restaurant by a partition topped with glass
panels painted charmingly with grapes and vines.
I chose the Orvieto Classico ($5.50 in a big glass), which proved light and
fruity and perfect for the calamari and mussels. For the puttanesca it was Rosso
Sicilia ($6.50), a hearty flavor that was a perfect choice for this hearty dish.
If you can’t decide, as my friend couldn’t, our waitress brought us
generous samples of both, accompanied by the bartender, Esther, who offered
her guidance, too. There was so much in the two samples, in fact, that they
almost equaled a complete portion.
It was a nice touch in a lovely place that serves wonderful dishes.
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Comfort
and Joy
Providence Monthly, December 3, 2003
By Linda Beaulieu
Providence Monthly Writer
Small, intimate, romantic, warm, cozy, inviting - these are the words that best
describe Pane e Vino, one of the many Italian restaurants along Atwells Avenue
on Federal Hill in Providence.As for the food at Pane e vino, these are the
words that first come to mind while dining there - authentic, Old World, traditional,
generous, perfectly prepared, Italian comfort food.
Combine all that with great wine and outstanding servcie, and you've got a wonderful
place for dinner, especially if you are lucky enough to catch a table near the
brick fireplace, which was all algow the night we were there.
We fell in love with Pane e Vino when it first opened more than a year ago,
and we were long overdue for a return visit. Felicia, one of the best waitpersons
around, clearly remembered us, which impressed me, and welcomed us warmly.
the menu looked more appealing than ever with so many tempting choices and a
price range that should make everyone happy.
In addition to the regular menu, Pane e vino also has an excellent trattoria
menu available Monday through Friday until 7pm and all day on Sunday.
I don't know how to say "early bird special" in Italian, but this
is one of the best around. for a mere $19 per person, you get a choice
of antipasti, pasta, and entree, and the housemade tiramisu for dessert.
The antipasti included two types of bruschetta and a baby arugula salad.
For the pasta course, you can have a spicy marinara, a zesty tomato sauce flavored
with olives, capers, and anchovies, or gnocchi in a white wine sauce.
The main course options are the classic veal parmigiano, a grilled pork chop,
and a chicken breast sauteed with escarole and sun-dried tomatoes.
Just when you think it can't get any better, it does. On Mondays at Pane
e Vino, all the wines are offered at half price. That's right-all the wines,
half price. A pretty amazing opportunity, especially when you combine
it with that $19 trattoria menu. We were mighty tempted to go that route,
but the regular menu was even more alluring.
The house antipasto for two (16.95) changes slightly from day to day.
For us, it was a superb combinations of Itrani olives, paper thin slices of
premium salami, prosciutto and soppressata, roasted red peppers, grilled asparagus,
oven-roasted tomatoes, a marinated portabello mushroom, and the best frittata
I've ever had.
We also shared a pasta course, Agnolotti al Tartufo ($16.95). These were
large half-moons of delicate pasta dough filled with finely chopped portabello
mushrooms flavored with truffle oil, then finished with a walnut truffle cream
sauce-the kind that makes you want to lick your plate.
We were both in the mood for veal, but we went with very different preparations.
My grilled veal chop (28.95) was definitely on the hefty side, accompanied by
a baked sweet potato and more of that wonderful grilled asparagus. I got
to take the veal chop bone home for my dog, and little Beau chewed on it
joyfully for days. My husband stopped talking when his Rollatine di Vitello
(23.95) arrived at the table. He became totally involved with this veal
scaloppine that was rolled with prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, and asparagus,
finished with a Madeira demiglace and served on a bed of Parmigiano mashed potatoes.
The menu is written in Italian with each item translated. There are
10 antipasti items from which to choose, priced from $6.95 to $16.95 (the antipasto
for two). One of the more intriguing appetizers is the grilled smoked
Scamorza cheese served over a light San Marzano tomato sauce. Yes, San
Marzano tomatoes-considered by many experts to be the best. The ten pasta
dishes are in the $10.95 to $25.95 price range, with the high end
devoted to pricey seafood. The 11 entrees include chicken, fish, pork,
veal, beef, and seafood dishes, running from $15.95 to $28.95. The Zuppa
di Pesce sounds like it just might be the house specialty, consisting of
a whole lobster, littlenecks, mussels, baby octopus, calamari, scallops, and
shrimp in a light tomato broth, served with grilled bruschetta.
You migiht assume that all these Old World classics are coming from a kitchen
manned by veteran chefs, probably Italian born. Not so. It is all the
glorious work of two young people, Executive Chef Kevin DiLibero and Sous Chef
Erin Armour, who really know how to cook authentic Italiana food. Owner
Joe DeQuattro must be very proud of his entire staff and the outstanding job
they do at Pane e Vino.
As we have been known to do, we asked for a dessert to go. An hour or
so later, long after we had digested our wonderful dinner, we heated our Torta
Caprese at home just as Felicia had suggested. The slightly warm flourless
chocolate cake with hazelnuts was the perfect ending to our return to Pane e
Vino, even though we were now miles away from Federal Hill.
That particular night, I splurged on wine by the glass. Early on, with
the antipasto and pasta courses, I sipped on the 2001 Antinori Chardonnay ($9.95
a glass). With my main course, I savored teh 1998 Stefano Farina Barbaresco
(14.95 a glass). I can't wait to go back to Pane e Vino on a Monday night
when these terrific wines-and many others-can be sampled at unbelievably low
prices.
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Pane
e Vino is in a Class of its Own
Federal Hill Gazette, December, 2003
By Heather S, Shean
Federal Hill Gazette Writer
As Old Man Winter's cold blusters up Federal Hill, the warmth of the blaze from
the fireplace at Pane e vino offers a welcome respite. Owner Joseph DeQuattro,
a Providence native, envisioned a cozy, comfortable, traditional Italian trattoria
"with a rustic Mediterranean atmosphere." He opeend Pane e Vino
in July 2002 and has stayed true to Italian tradition while adding a few innovative
ideas. Pane e Vino is a gioiello (jewel) on the Hill.
"Our food is not meant to be complex; it is simple, rustic peasant fare
based on the old country. A lot of (broccoli) rabe, veal stew and pasta
dishes - Neapolitan pasta," explains DeQuattro describing the menu at Pane
e Vino. The flavors are indeed robust as in Chef Kevin DiLibero's Pasta
Bucatini (like spaghetti but with a hollow center) all' Amatriciana (red sauce)
with pancetta, red onions and hot pepper flakes, tossed with Parmigiano Reggiano
cheese. "It's delicious," DeQuattro says of his favorite dish.
He also recommends Tagiatelli con Porcini. The specialty dish features
mushrooms sauteed with a hint of garlic, lightly browned and deglazed witih
extra virgin olive oil and parsley. It's not listed on the menu because
it depends on availability of the porcini.
My recommendation is to begin with an appetizer of Scamorza Affumicata All Griglia.
The grilled Neapolitan smoked scamorza cheese is rich in flavor and topped with
marinara sauce. Then try the catch of the day. I savored every bite of
the Chilean Sea Bass on a recent visit. It is prepared using a traditional
Neapolitan recipe called "Aqua Pazza," meaning crazy water.
It is attributed to fishermen on the docks in Italy who would take their daily
catch and boil the fish with seawater, poaching it with a little bit of garlic
and tomato. Pane e Vino re-enacts this recipe using sea salts and fresh
garlic and cherry tomatoes. It is a healthy choice because it does not
contain oils. I loved it as did others at my table, wishing that they
had chosen it.
On Monday nights, the restaurant is the place to be. The big draw?
Every wine by the bottle or glass is half price. In addition, the staff
has a wealth of knowledge to share with diners about each one. Pane e
Vino features over thirty wines available by the glass or bottle from over 100
wine selections. If you love a particular wine, simply ask your server
to share the information about the vintage and vineyard. He or she will
write up the information on a custom card. This makes it easy to remember
it and enjoy again in the future. About the Monday night wine nights,
DeQuattro enthuses, "It is a monumental success. I do not see an end to
this special offer anytime soon."
I have dined at Pane e Vino perhaps over a dozen times and each experience has
been excellent. I cannot fail to mention the restaurant's superior staff
as teh y add significantly to what makes the restaurant stand out. "We
put a lot of time and effort into educating our servers. Not only about
the wine but the food," comments deQuatro. True. Whenever I have
asked about the wine and/or food an accurate description is given with ease.
If you go, be sure to make a reservation on Monday or Thursday through Saturday.
Whether you sit by the fire or where you can gaze out onto Federal Hill from
a windowside table - the place and the food are very inviting.
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Make a Special Trip
Rhode Island Monthly , January, 2004
By Paula M. Bodah
Rhode Island Monthly Writer
Can a restaurant be both bold and restrained, rustic and refined? Sure, if it
has the confidence and style of Pane e Vino.
You donít have to be a rocket scientist to recognize good Italian food.
Just in case, though, weíve brought one along. Our friend Lou DíAmario,
who works at NASAís Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, is visiting
family in Providence with his wife, Maria, and heís craving quality Italian
food.
Naturally Iíve been charged with choosing the restaurant. Pane e Vino
seems a safe bet. First, itís got the Atwells Avenue pedigree. Second,
it feels authentically trattoria-like, with its plaster walls sponged in warm
rustic tones and its wood floors polished to a high sheen. And third, its menu
brims with dishes that are definitively Italian ñ no fusion, no world
cuisine, no ethnicity of the month, just Italian, and primarily Neapolitan at
that.
With all that going for it, we figure weíll get a competent meal in a
comfortable environment, at least.
The moment the busboy delivers the bread, a chewy, substantial Italian from
Olgaís Cup and Saucer, I realize Iíve underestimated the place.
For the busboy doesnít just serve the bread and pour the olive oil; he
produces a pair of scissors and a healthy sprig of oregano and snips the fresh
herb into the oil. Itís a quiet, thoughtful touch, performed without
affectation, that reflects the restaurantís self-possessed style.
Restrained is a word I find myself using a lot tonight. The menu describes dishes
that have bold tastes ñ olives, garlic, capers, anchovies, pancetta,
hot cherry peppers. You expect to be knocked out with fragrances and flavor.
Yet every dish uses those big flavors with control, bringing them into harmony,
not competition.
Thereís a certain restraint in the atmosphere, as well. The dÈcor
is warm and welcoming, calming rather than energizing. The dining room is divided
into areas of a half-dozen tables or so each, creating a sense of intimacy and
keeping the noise level to a pleasant buzz.
Simplicity rules in the appetizers. Roasted red and yellow peppers, julienned
and tossed with garlic, olive oil and Itrani olives are good eaten with a fork,
even better heaped on bread. Bruschetta with sautÈed roasted mushrooms
and tomatoes stays crunchy around the edges while the center sops up the mild
white wine, garlic and olive oil sauce. The tomato-studded broth surrounding
native littlenecks and cannellini beans is lightly garlicky, leaving the abundant
beans and clams to their starring roles. And a salad of baby field greens with
pear poached in port, candied almonds and crumbled gorgonzola creates an equal
balance of sweet with sharp, crunchy with soft.
Our server, Nicole, is prepared when we ask for help on wine, recommending a
bottle of Tocai Friulano, a refined but intense white that works well with the
appetizers as well as a couple of our entrÈes.
Lou, who deals with enough complicated stuff in his job, has decided to keep
it simple tonight, ordering a robust linguine puttanesca ñ pasta with
a fresh plum-tomato sauce that, for all its big juicy olives, capers and a generous
measure of anchovies, manages not to be over-salty.
The kitchen handles the delicate and the hearty with equal ease. On the delicate
side are my husbandís red snapper special and Marieís veal scaloppine
with artichokes and lemon white wine sauce.
The snapper is pan-seared then poached in "crazy water," flavored
with fresh herbs and cherry tomatoes. Itís a good way to cook snapper,
which is so easily overwhelmed. The veal is tender, lemony and fresh, all as
it should be.
On the heartier side are my pork special and the menuís beef tenderloin
ordered by Louís sister Ursula. The latter has an intensely rich, deep
garlic rosemary demi-glace. Finding decent asparagus this time of year is a
challenge, but the kitchen found tender, tiny spears to set alongside the beef.
The former, pork tenderloin medallions wrapped in apple wood bacon before roasting
and served with tender green beans and mashed potatoes with a hint of parmesan,
is a warming dish for the cool evening. Nicole is on target again with her recommendation
of a glass of primativo, a slightly peppery red wine thatís a good match
for the baconís saltiness.
The restraint stops at the dessert menu. Molten chocolate truffle torte is just
as decadent as it sounds, rich with cocoa flavor and oozing with warm ganache.
The fluffy-sounding lemon sponge cake filled with lemon curd is not as light
as Iíd hoped, especially with its heavy coconut-buttercream frosting.
Ginger-stout cake, a special tonight, is classic gingerbread taken to inspired
extremes, punched up with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and topped with whiskey
crËme anglaise.
Some restaurants make a splash; others, like Pane e Vino, which opened a year
and a half ago, make their mark more quietly, collecting loyal diners one meal
at a time. Even the non-rocket scientists at our table are smart enough to know
a good thing when we see it.
Gourmet
Greatness
The Phantom Gourmet, January, 2005
Pane e Vino captures the essence of Providence charm with complimentary valet
parking, thoughtful service, and honest food. The ambiance is pleasant, but
it’s the sum of everything else that makes Phantom want to return.
Atmosphere:
8
Pane e Vino in Providence exudes warmth from a busy stretch of close knit tables.
Buttery walls and elegant sconces calm the hustle and bustle between the brick-walled
bar and back room.
Menu: 9
The honest Neapolitan menu gets a lift from an incredible wine list that’s
exclusively Italian.
Appetizers: 8
Appetizers included a gorgeous spread of roasted red and yellow peppers heaped
over whole basil leaves and young, milky buffalo mozzarella. A light salad of
peppery greens needed some olive oil depth but benefited from the salty heft
of tender dried bresaola beef and grana padano.
Entrees: 8
A satisfying entrée of peasant pasta mixed broccoli raab and fatty sausage
with plenty of garlic, but the waterlogged orecchiette had a fragmenting effect.
A more successful rack of lamb softened its gamey succulence with a rich cherry
demi-glace aside roasted parsnips and fingerling potatoes.
Dessert: 9
To finish, an awesome golden raisin bread pudding guarded the most sweetly saturated
center under a crisp bruleed top
Portions: 9
Portions were consistently sufficient, sometimes verging on excess.
Service: 9
Thoughtful touches of service like re-lighting a votive with rolled paper and
writing down the specs for a favorite wine personalized the dining experience.
Cleanliness: 9
On cleanliness, a trip to the bathroom gave Phantom a chance to inspect every
inch of the long, narrow, tidy space.
Value: 8
Appetizers average $9; entrees have a great range from $11 to $30; and the awesome
wine list is a vagabond’s dream at half price on Mondays.
Location: 9
Pane e Vino has an action packed location on Atwells Ave. in Federal Hill, Providence,
with FREE valet parking.
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Your
Table is Ready
FindRI.com, January, 2005
Inside
Pane e Vino on a bright, sunny evening in May, the light seems to bring the
warm Mediterranean colors to life. It’s only 6:30 and the place is nearly
full and everyone’s enjoying themselves as the voices of Frank Sinatra,
Dean Martin, and Ella Fitzgerald on the sound system complete the picture.
One look at the menu tells me there will be no odd-ball concoctions or gussied
up entrees here. This is Italian food as it’s meant to be-honest, straight
forward and fresh. They state as much on their web site: "We create all
of our cuisine with a high respect for the longstanding and highly admired traditions
of Italian regional cooking." And by "regional," they mean mostly
Neopolitan with a few ventures just a bit further north.
I begin with their Escarola con Fagioli ($7.95), a mild, spring-y mixture of
soft tan cannelini beans on wilted escarole leaves with chips of pancetta ham
piled onto slices of wonderfully chewy Italian bread (from the famous Seven
Stars Bakery on the East Side). With a sprinkling of parmigiano cheese, it’s
an excellent beginning.
My wife had one of the evening’s specials: buffalo mozz-erella with sliced
tomatoes and a fragrant sprig of basil. I usually wait until mid-July for really
great tomatoes, but these were surprisingly flavorful and juicy. Sprinkled with
extra virgin olive oil they were the perfect taste to usher in the season.
From the section of the menu called "Carne, Pesce, Eccetera", I chose
the Costoletta dio Vitello ($28.95), a large grilled veal chop accompanied by
a very fine parmigiano risotto and finished with a woodsy roasted mushroom demi
glace. The veal was tender and loaded with flavor; but it was the creamy-rich
risotto that had me really rolling my eyes with pleasure. There were also some
freshly grilled asparagus spears to balance off this carnivore’s delight.
Jan had the Vitello al Limone con Carciofi ($21.95), which is Pane e Vino’s
superb version of the classic veal scaloppine. This one came with tender artichoke
hearts and leaves, sautéed simply in a delicate lemon and white wine
sauce. The accompanying veggies were some crisply sautéed string beans
and some creamy/cheese-infused mashed potatoes that were almost as good as my
risotto.
Other antipasti dishes I can’t wait to return for are Pane e Vino’s
Bruschetta con Salsiccia e Pomodori ($7.95)-grilled country bread topped with
sautéed sweet Italian sausage, cannellini beans and fresh tomato; their
Scamorza Affumicata alla Griglia ($7.95) -grilled Neapolitan smoked scamorza
cheese over a light San Mazano tomato sauce; and their Bresaola con Ruchetta
($8.95) -dry cured center cut beef tenderloin sliced thin over peppery greens
with shaved Grana Padano cheese.
Back in the entrée department, there’s Pollo ai Funghi Arostiti
($15.95)-chicken breast pan-sauteed with roasted mushrooms in a Madeira demi
glace over mashed potatoes; the Zuppa di Pesch ($29.95), with a whole pound-and-a-half
lobster; and their Malale alla Giglia ($18.95)-a grilled, double-rib pork chop
with a garlic, pickled peppers and white wine sauce.
I’m already over my word count here and I haven’t even included their
pasta dishes yet. Pane e Vino’s list of Farinacei includes linguine all
Putanesca ($13.95), with olives, capers and anchovies; Polenta e Salsiccia ($13.95),
with grilled sausage and a rich tomato ragu; Gnocchi alla Sorrentina ($16.96),
with fresh buffalo mozzarella; and the Spaghettini with little necks ($16.95).
For dessert I had some intensely flavorful hazelnut gelato ($5.50) and Jan had
their amazingly light and crumbly crème fraiche cheesecake ($7).
There is also an intriguing Trattoria Menu for $22 per person available everyday
except Saturdays until 7pm. Hours are: Monday-Thursday 5 -10 p.m. Friday/Saturday
5-11 p.m. Sunday 4-8 p.m. For more information, call 223-2230 or visit www.panevino.net.