Violino Gastronomia Italiana - Valentine's Dinner Parte Seconda

Since I splurged on the Valentine’s dinner last week, Dave insisted on treating me to a night out this week, my choice. I selected Violino Gastronomia Italiana (10133 125 Street). They’ve been on my list of restaurants to try for a while. Actually, they’ve been on the list since they opened a couple of years ago and I’m ashamed to admit I’m only getting around to visiting now.

The parking in the High Street area is always a bit tight, but when we arrived on Saturday night there were a few spots available in their lot. Once in the door, we were greeted warmly by the host who took our jackets and escorted us to our table. The restaurant is housed in an old mansion with dining on two floors. We were seated on the main level; the room was intimate with a simple elegance about it. It was a softly lit and warm toned room with rich golden floor to ceiling drapery that was complimented by dark wood beams and window trim. It’s a perfect place for a romantic dinner or an evening with close friends.

Our waiter quickly made his appearance, bringing with him a wonderful rustic loaf of dense, chewy bread and a bowl of olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a clove of roasted garlic in it. As we checked over the menus the host came by with a massive wheel of parmesan and cut off some chunks for us to have with our bread. We ordered a bottle of Cecchi Chianti ($33), one of the house reds, from what appeared to a fairly diverse wine list. Wines ranged from $31 for Freixenet to $440 for Moet & Chandon Dom Perignon. For our appetizer we ordered the Antipasto Misto for one ($15). Originally we ordered the plate for two, but our waiter ensured us that the platter for one would be sufficient, especially if we wanted room for dessert. For our main we both ordered the Duo di Agnello ($38), rack of lamb served with potato gnocchi.

The Antipasto Misto arrived swiftly. It was a nice mixture of smoked salmon, a jumbo prawn, a sugar glazed bay scallop, Genoa salami, prosciutto, capicollo, roasted Italian vegetables and mixed olives. Our waiter was correct in suggesting the smaller portion, but it was a bit comical to be cutting the prawn and the scallop in half so we could share.

As we waited for our lamb to arrive we watched the table across from us being served Violino’s signature dish, Bistecca alla Fiorentina ($59 to serve two), a 40 oz T-bone steak. The steak was wheeled to the table on a cart, doused in brandy and then set alight. Once the flame was out it was carved at the table for them. It looked fantastic and I wondered if I’d had made the right choice from the menu. My fears were alleviated as soon as our waiter appeared with our lamb. Wow. The lamb rack was served with a rosemary red wine reduction and gnocchi in a lamb bolognese. Dave and I both agreed that it was one of the best racks of lamb that we’ve ever had. The rack was lightly coated in Dijon mustard and then breaded. The slight hint of mustard combined with the wine reduction complemented the succulent meat that was cooked perfectly as ordered. The gnocchi was just as wonderful. The fluffy little dumpling pillows were nestled in a rich, rich, ground lamb bolognese sauce. The gnocchi is on the menu as a stand-alone pasta dish ($12), I’d definitely order it if I was looking for something a bit less than decadent then the rack of lamb.

Needless to say, we were too stuffed after the lamb to order dessert. We decided instead on a Padova, from their special coffee menu. The combination of Sambuca, Cacao, espresso and steamed milk was just sweet enough to finish off the perfect meal.

As we left the restaurant, our waiter, who had given us wonderful service throughout the evening, wished us well and urged us to come back and try to save room for dessert in next time.
Violino Gastronomia Italiana
10133 125 Street
780-757-8701
Lunch, Monday – Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Dinner, Monday – Saturday 5:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Brunch, Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.