Va Bene Italian Restaurant

In general, I Like Italian food, but I Love Mexican food!  But now Va Bene Italian Restaurant has changed that because I loved Va Bene!  I planned one of my monthly sorority dinners here after hearing good reviews, it is not near my normal neighborhood so I felt that this was a good chance to try some place new!  This particular night there were 9 of us meeting for dinner, and while some of the girls had been out with me when I was reviewing a restaurant before, the other ones were really good sports and just went along with it when I passed the camera around the table (which will also explain some of the crazy picture angles) and made them take pictures before taking bites!  Since this dinner was over a month ago now, I don't really remember what each of these dishes was let alone the comments from those that ate them, so I am basically just going to tell you what each dish is to the best of my memory....but what I do know is that everyone loved their dinners and a few of us even got dessert (although I forgot to pass to the camera at this point)! 

I think this was just penne with a fresh tomato sauce....looks tasty!

I think that this is the Pollo alla Genovese, which was chicken breast with artichoke hearts in a dijon cream sauce.  It was served with veggies and mashed potatoes on the side.

I believe this is the Linguine Gamberoni con Rucola which is a linguine pasta with tomatoes, arugla and shrimp with a touch of cream.  Whoever ordered this must have been at the other end of the table from me, because i definately would have wanted a bite!

This is what I ordred, the Gnocchi alla Vodka to which I added Italian sausage.  Let me just say, this was the best gnocchi that I have ever had, the little nuggets were so tender they just melted in my mouth.  The vodka sauce was also done just perfect; creamy with a touch of heat.  I wasn't expecting the sausage to be in a crumbled form, I would have preferred it sliced, but the gnocchi was so good that it didn't matter.

This is the Penne Aglio Olio Peperoncino con Broccoli, a pretty long name for pasta with broccoli!  This was just a nice clean dish that my friend really enjoyed.

My friend Kim at the Filet special, which was a filet in a mushroom cream sauce.  Since she couldn't decide between a steak or pasta, the waiter was kind enough to change out her side item to some of the Gnocchi all Vodka!  She was in heaven and the plate was clean by the time she was done!

Va Bene's version of the Linguine Vongole looked and smelled amazing!  We couldn't believe how many clams were mounded onto the dish, and the white wine sauce was fresh and clean with a touch of garlic.

My sister has been on a Seafood Risotto kick lately, so she couldn't pass up trying the version at Va Bene.  This version had scallops, shrimp and mushrooms in a light brandy cream sauce.  She thought that this was an amazing risotto, while rich, not overpowering and the seafood was cooked perfectly!

We had a wonderful time at Va Bene, the food was delicious, the service outstanding and top that with good friends and it wa the recipe for the perfect evening.  I am going to have to come up with reasons to head down to that part of town more often so that I can try some more of their delicious dishes!

Va Bene Italian Restaurant
4647 E. Chandler Blvd.
Phoenix, AZ 85048
http://www.vabeneaz.com/

Open Faced Lasagna Ciabattas

I got this really cool lightbox for Christmas, but it didn't come with any instructions, and being the novice photographer that I am, I decided I needed a bit of guidance.  Luckily for me, I have a friend that is an AMAZING photographer, so I called her up and offered a home-cooked meal in exchange for some camera tips...and she was quick to agree!  I also invited along her boyfriend and another friend of theirs, because while I like to experiment in the kitchen, I am not a fan of eating leftovers for days on end!  As the evening approached on our agreed upon day, I still hadn't quite figured out what I wanted to make, but I knew I wanted it to be something hot and hearty!  When I first discovered the world of food blogs, one of the first ones that I ever ran across was Picky Palate, and this recipe in particular caught my eye.  I went back and looked at what I had marked to try and when I saw this, I knew that I had found the evenings meal.  This was really quite easy to toss together, and was a fun twist on lasagna without having to boil water!  The recipe makes quite a bit; I ended up sending a bunch home with the boys....but I think they were happy to help me out!  Jessica gave me some great tips on lighting, camera settings and angles, and while I haven't quite matched her skill level yet....I am working on it!

Thanks again Jessica!

Toasted Open Faced Lasagna Ciabattas

adapted from Picky Palate

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 lb ground Italian Sausage (I used link sausage and just removed the casings)

1 (26 oz) jar of your favorite pasta sauce
8 leaves fresh basil, chopped

15 oz container ricotta cheese

½ c. grated parmesan cheese

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese (I used an Italian blend)

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. Italian Seasoning

4 ciabatta rolls

1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

Parmesan cheese

Basil, for garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place oil into a medium dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Cook sausage until browned, about 5-7 minutes; reserve ¼ cup of sausage for ricotta. Reduce heat to low and stir in pasta sauce and basil leaves. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Place reserved ¼ cup sausage, ricotta, parmesan, shredded mozzarella, salt, pepper and Italian Seasoning into a medium bowl. Stir to combine.

Split each ciabatta roll and place cut side up onto a large baking sheet. Spread ricotta mixture over each roll, about ¼ cup (*you probably won’t use all of ricotta.). Top with a couple spoonfuls of pasta sauce, and fresh mozzarella cheese slices.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted and hot. Remove, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and basil; serve.

Brio Tuscan Grille

We told my dad to pick a restaurant to go to for his birthday, he didn't know what where he wanted to go, so we suggested Brio that had just opened at the Scottsdale Quarter.  As I have said before, my dad LOVES Italian food, so we thought this would be a good pick for his special day, and fun for everyone since none of us had ever been there before.

We had a 7:00 reservation on a Thursday night and were seated promptly upon our arrival.  Let me just say, the interior of the restaurant is so beautiful; it has high ceilings which have been ornately decorated with chandeliers and fabric swags.  Even though the ceilings were so high, and there were so many tables, it really didn't get to be all that loud inside, so we were happy about that, especially my dad.

We were greeted by a friendly waiter within seconds of sitting down, and placed our beverage orders.  We were also given a nice basket of assorted breads and cracker breads, the cracker breads were the best of the bunch; seasoned with rosemary and parmesan cheese!

We looked over the menu and were impressed by the selection, and felt that the prices were very reasonable considering the atmospher of the restaurant, so we were hoping the food wouldn't let us down!  We decided to start with some Lobster Bisque and salad before our entrees.  My family cannot resist a bowl of Lobster Bisque, and if we see it on a menu, we generally find ourselves ordering a bowl with four spoons!

The bisque came out in an adorable soup toureen that had lion heads on either side of it, which is something that my mom, sister and I couldn't help but point out!  I was the first to take a bite of the bisque, and while I found the flavor to be nice and lots of big chunks of lobster, I found the texture to be a bit off.  A bisque is supposed to be as smooth and velvety, but this was really thick, almost like you had to chew your soup!  We all decided that the flavor was there, but that the execution was off, so next time we will probably pass on the bisque.

We had also ordered both the Caesar Salad (minus the croutons) and the Brio Chopped Salad as starters.  The Caesar was just your classic version, but both my sister and dad really liked the dressing.  It was nicely dressed and sprinkled with Paresan cheese, and the lettuce was nice and crisp.  My mom really enjoyed the chopped salad that was filled with tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, onions and dressed in a red wine vinaigrette.  Everything was chopped into similar sized pieces making it easy to eat, and she thought it all went very well together.  The salads had made up for the chewy bisque, so we were looking forward to our entrees!

I decided to order off of the appetizer menu since I wasn't overly hungry that night, and I chose the Gorgonzola Lamb Chops.  They offer an entree sized portion of these, but when the waiter informed me that it came with EIGHT chops, I decided that was just way to much!  The chops were cooked to a perfectly pink middle and were baked with a crust of gorgonzola cheese.  Dipped in the red wine veal sauce that they were served with, they really just melted in your mouth!  The sauce was one of my favorite parts of this dish, I was dipping my bread in it at the end to make sure I didn't miss any of it!

My dad chose the Veal Marsala for his entree.  The veal was super tender like veal should be, and was swimming in a classic Marsala sauce specked with mushrooms.  On the side, there were crispy roasted potatoes and green beans.  My dad loves veal, and tends to order it most of the time that he goes for Italian food and he really liked this version.  The portion was a good size and he especially liked the roasted potatoes.

My mom and my sister both ordered the same thing, the Shrimp and Scallop Risotto.  The dish came out and smelled amazing, and we could all see that it was overflowing with shrimp and scallops.  The risotto was made with fire roasted tomatoes and cream, giving it a rich and creamy flavor.  It was drizzled with a pesto sauce that added just the right amount of nuttiness to the dish.  I was able to snag a few bites and fell in love with this, it reminded me of my beloved "pink sauce" that I tend to gravitate to when ordering pasta.  They both had leftovers to take home, and reported that it was almost even better leftover!

Since we were celebrating a birthday, we couldn't not have dessert, although the birthday boy wasn't interested, so my mom and I got to choose!  We decided to get a Creme Brulee Trio that included a classic version, a caramel version and a chocolate version.  For some reason my sister does not like Creme Brulee, silly girl, so it was all for me and my mom!  They were all smooth, silky and creamy but the caramel one was our favorite.  It was not overly sweet, but had just enough of the caramel flavor that it was just divine. 

We all really enjoyed our whole experience at Brio; the service, food and atmosphere were all excellent.  The menu had quite the selection and we all agreed that there were other dishes that we would be interested in trying, so I am guessing that we will be back again in the near future!

Brio Tuscan Grille

15301 N. Scottsdale Rd.

Scottsdale, AZ 85254

http://www.brioitalian.com/

VinciTorio's Restaurant

I hadn't been to a new restaurant in awhile, so I was looking forward to trying out this place with a few girls from my Sorority Alumni group. Two of them are regulars at VinciTorio's and had been wanting me to host one of the dinners there, so I finally gave in and planned the dinner there for a Friday night. I had called at noon that day to get reservations, and it was good that I did, because there were quite a few people waiting when we arrived, but we were seated right away.

The interior of the space has a very homey feel, with pictures of the owners family all over the walls. I estimated that there were only about 20 tables in the restaurant, so it was a nice atmosphere. After our waiter took our drink orders he came back with a basket of hot bread. My friends, the regulars, informed me that all the bread was made in house, making it very fresh. There were two types in the basket, a foccacia and a garlic bread. Both of them were excellent, the garlic bread was crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. The foccacia seemed to be scented with rosemary, and it was delicious dipped into the self-serve olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette that was on the table.

The menu had lots of options, pasta dishes, meat dishes, salads, sandwiches and pizza...so much to choose from! While we looked over the menu, we decided to get some soup and salad to start with. Katie was raving about the Mushroom Soup, and while I am usually not a mushroom person, once I saw hers, I decided to give it a try since my meal was going to come with a choice of soup or salad. It was a rich, thick soup made with mushrooms, cream and red wine. As I was eating mine, I just felt that something was missing, so I added a dash of salt, and then the flavors really came alive. It was delicious, and I may have cured my mushroom hatred (although it still applies to raw mushrooms....yuck!).

Laura, Whitney & Cynthia all decided to start with the Caprese Salad. The presentation of the salad was lovely, and it came with some pleasant surprises that were not indicated in its description on the menu; roasted red peppers, marinated artichoke hears and kalamata olives! They gave me a bite to try, and while it was a decent version of a Caprese salad, it was nothing spectacular. The tomatoes seemed to be a bit under ripe, making them a bit hard and flavorless. The fresh buffalo mozzarella was good, and we really did enjoy the little extras on the side.

After we had finally decided on our main courses, it wasn't long before they started rolling out of the kitchen. Cynthia (one of the regulars) ordered the Gnocchi al Pomodoro Fresco, but substituted the fresh Pomodoro sauce for the Bolognese sauce. A huge bowl of little pasta and potato nuggets arrived, drenched in the meaty sauce. This is one of the usual things that she orders here, and she was not disappointed a bit. She gave me a gnocchi to try, and while I thought the dumpling was good (maybe a little tough), I was not a fan of the sauce. I think tomato based sauces are very personal, and what is amazing to one, just doesn't do it for another. I liked the ratio of the meat to the red sauce, but I think there was just a bit too much oregano for my taste, plus, I usually like my gnocchi served in a Vodka sauce!

Whitney was torn between two dishes, but ultimately decided to order the Ravioli di Zucca, which were butternut squash ravioli in a four cheese sauce. The presentation of these was beautiful, and she was quite amused that the ravioli were actually in the shape of large hearts! She felt the sweet squash filling paired well with the savory cheese sauce, and was very happy with her meal. It was definitely a rich dish, but not in a heavy way.

Katie (the other regular) ordered the Eggplant Sandwich which was served with homemade potato chips. The sandwich consisted of lightly breaded eggplant slices, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese all baked into a fresh roll....the sandwich was huge! Katie said that it was very good, the eggplant was not soggy in the sandwich at all, and there was just enough sauce and cheese as a compliment. She gave me a chip to try and they were amazing! There is just something about homemade potato chips, they were still a bit warm, and seasoned perfectly with a touch of salt.

Laura wasn't in the mood for anything heavy that night, so she ordered the Chicken Caesar Salad. The salad was a good size portion with strips of seasoned chicken breast perched on top. She really liked the chicken, and felt that it was cooked perfectly. The salad was dressed with just enough dressing to retain the crispness of the lettuce. Laura really liked this salad, and said it was definitely something that she would order again.

When I saw the Cannelloni Rossini on the menu, I need to look no further! I have always loved Cannelloni, but it is not found on a lot of menus, so I was excited to try it. This one was filled with a mixture of ground veal, chicken and ricotta cheese, then topped with a duo of bechamelle and marinara sauce. When the plate arrived, I couldn't wait to dig into it, but I was ultimately disappointed. The filling was really dry, and there wasn't quite enough sauce on top to make up for the dryness. Also, once again, the red sauce just didn't suit my taste buds, making it taste a bit odd to me. The bechamelle sauce did have good flavor, and I ended up dipping some of the delicious bread in it. I was bummed by my dish, but at least everyone else seemed to enjoy theirs.

At the end of our meal, both Cynthia and Whitney decided to get a Cannoli for dessert. I am not a fan of Cannoli, but they both assured me that they were very good. They were a good size, filled to the brim with cream, and accented with a sprinkling of chocolate chips, powdered sugar and a cherry on top!

Laura decided that she wanted some dessert also, but opted for gelato instead. She had her choice between chocolate and vanilla; she chose the chocolate. After just one bite, she declared it to be the best gelato she had ever eaten! At that review, we all grabbed a spoon and took a taste, and it was amazing! It was rich and creamy and had just enough chocolate to make it feel decadent, but it wasn't overly sweet. She happily cleaned her bowl and was glad that we stayed for dessert!

Overall, we had a really nice time at VinciTorio's, it is a charming neighborhood Italian restaurant. The service was excellent, and for the most part the food was really good. I would consider giving it a second chance because there were some other items on the menu that were very appealing to me, but for next time, I just know that I need to stay away from anything with red sauce!

VinciTorio's Restaurant
1835 E. Elliot Rd., Suite C-109

Tempe, AZ

www.vincitoriosrestaurant.com

Amarone Ristorante Italiano

It is Monday morning, and the first thing Kirsch says to me is "I want meatballs!" Apparently she had a hankering for some meatballs for the past few days, and decided that it was finally time to satisfy her craving. I had been hearing good things about Amarone for a few months now, so when she suggested that we go and I try it out I was excited. We asked a few other people in the office if they wanted to come, and next thing we knew, we had a group of 7 people!

A funny back story about Amarone, it is located in a building that was originally a Peter Piper Pizza when I was a kid. I actually had my 5th birthday party there; during the meal everyone found it funny when I pointed out where the Skee Ball games used to be!

My first impression when walking inside was, we weren't at Peter Piper anymore! The place was absolutely breathtaking; with the granite bar in the center of the room, to the chandeliers and the beautiful flooring. It was obvious that the owners had put much thought and a lot of money into making it a truly unique dining experience. A lot of thought was even put into the bathrooms; they made it to look like you were inside of a cave and had beautiful marble sinks. Our first impression was if the food tasted half as good as this place looked, we were in for a treat!

While we all browsed through our menus, a tray of bread was placed in the middle of the table. The bread was warm and chewy and had great flavor. I think it is actually the same dough that they use for their pizza crust. But the relish that was on the side took it to a whole new level. It was a combination of caramelized onions, celery, garlic and olives were guessed, and it was delicious! It was sweet, but with a salty bite from the olives, it was a lovely start to the meal, and we eventually polished off two whole trays!

Everyone finally decided on their meals and we placed our order. A couple people had ordered salads to start, and those came out quite quickly. The Caesar salad was a traditional Caesar, minus the overpowering anchovy taste. Kirsch thought it needed more anchovy taste, but all she really wanted was for it to be more salty....because she is a salt fiend! The salad was not overdressed, so it made for a good start to the meal.

Chris ordered the house salad, which was dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette. The lettuce seemed to be a mix of arugula and romaine, and was garnished with red onion and sliced tomatoes. He really like the salad, and like the others, thought the dressing to lettuce ratio was perfect.

Pretty soon the main attractions started to roll out of the kitchen, and everyone's senses were immediately filled with the delicious aromas of the food. Mary & Dan were splitting the Vodka Penne for their meal. Vodka Penne is one of my all time favorite Italian dishes, but I have not been able to find a version that I liked as well as the one at Jerry Tucci's since the closed. Well, the search is over! The sauce was smooth, creamy and had just a hint of heat. The bacon and the fresh basil really complemented the dish, and Mary was oohing and aahing with every bite.

Like Kirsch, Shaun also decided he was in the mood for some meatballs, but he wanted some spaghetti to go along with them! The dish had two large meatballs and a pile of pasta smothered in a deep red sauce. It was apparent that the sauce was freshly made, and Shaun said it was a very good version of the classic dish.

I had ordered the Veal Cannelloni. When the waiter took my order, he asked me what kind of sauce I wanted on it, his suggestion was the Vodka sauce...my answer "Yes, please!" Like I have previously stated, I love vodka sauce. The creamy sauce with the tender veal was a delectable combination. But the other main standout in the dish was the freshness of the cannelloni pasta, I could definitely tell that the noodles had been freshly made, and it really took the dish to a whole new level. It came with two large cannelloni, which meant that I was going to have leftovers!

Kirsch was very excited when they set her meatballs down in front of her, and eagerly dove in. She was not only happy to have finally gotten a fix for her craving, but declared them to be the best meatballs she has ever had. She said the meat was cooked perfectly, and then combined with the fresh tomato sauce an sprinkling of Parmesan cheese; she was in heaven. When we got back to the office she told me that she couldn't stop thinking about the meatballs and that we would have to go back soon....I guess they really made an impression on her!

Danny decided to give the chicken piccata a try. He was immediately drawn by the aroma when he was presented with his plate, and I could even smell it all the way across the table, it smelled delicious. He took a bite and declared Amarone to be his favorite new Italian restaurant. The chicken was cooked perfectly and paired with the well seasoned sauce, it was a wonderful dish. He also liked the side of pasta that came with it. Although, if I was ordering the dish, I would probably substitute a different sauce for the red one, but that is just my personal preference.

Chris was in the mood for pizza after having some over the weekend, so he decided to give Amarone's a try. They bake all their pizza in a wood fired oven (my favorite way) so it was promising from the get go. He opted for just the traditional Margherita pizza, of fresh mozzarella, tomato & basil. The pizza comes in three sizes and he decided to get the middle size so that he could have leftovers for dinner. The pizza came out piping hot and had everyone at the table drooling. The crust was thin and crisp, and the toppings were of just the right proportions. Chris declared it to be a very good pizza, as did everyone else who took a bite; and he was very happy with his decision to plan for leftovers!

At lunch we also happened to be celebrating Shaun's birthday, so our waiter was very kind to bring out a complimentary Tiramisu for dessert. We sang happy birthday and then all took a bite. I don't typically like Tiramisu, but I tried it bite; it is not my thing, but everyone else seemed to enjoy it. Below is a picture of the birthday boy and his cake!

Well all really, and I mean really enjoyed our whole experience at Amarone. The waiter (Sergio) was very friendly and really made the experience very enjoyable, but the food was definitely the stand out (as it should be)!

If you or someone you know is a lover of Italian food, you definitely need to take them to Amarone to get their fix.

Amarone Ristorante Italiano
9011 E. Via Linda
Scottsdale, AZ 85258
www.amaroneaz.com