10133 125 St
(780) 757-8701
Andrew recently visited Violino's with Gil and loved his experience there, so we came here for my birthday dinner. To start, we shared a half order of the Antipasto Misto ($23). This was a large platter of veggies (grilled zucchini and eggplant, roasted red pepper, and mushrooms), shrimp, sugar-glazed bay scallops, smoked Atlantic salmon, Italian cured meats (proscuitto, capicollo, and sausage), and a medley of olives. Mixed greens were placed in the middle of the platter as a centrepiece. We loved the seafood - the shrimp and scallops were cooked appropriately and I always appreciate when scallops are not overdone. The smoked salmon wasn't too salty and had a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture. The veggies were cold and bland, but they tasted better when eaten together with the sliced meats and olives. The rustic bread served pre-meal smelled heartwarming and paired well with the appetizer.
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| antipasto.misto |
My entree was the Costina de Manzo Brasato ($28). It consisted of sliced braised beef short ribs on a bed of wild mushroom risotto. Wilted spinach and battered finely cut onion strings were placed on top. The risotto was rich but was cooked well with a lovely texture. I liked the wilted spinach and especially the crispy onion pieces. The meat was so tender that it didn't even need a knife to be cut apart. I thought that the sauce could have been improved, however. There was a distinct taste in it that I wasn't too particularly a fan of, but it wasn't anything that would prevent me from ordering this dish again in the future. Because of the large appetizer, I wasn't able to finish my entree. Surprisingly, I thought it tasted better the next day!
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| costina.de.manzo.brasato |
Andrew ordered the Veal Parmigiana ($37) as his main course. The veal was crispy and was topped with a tomato basil sauce and melted Boccocini cheese. The serving was HUGE (18 oz), and the piece on the plate was bigger than Andrew's head! Andrew loved it for the value, but he ate less than half before calling it quits. He also liked how the bone was kept on the piece of veal - he revelled in gnawing on it. Alongside the veal came a creamy and decadent fettucine alfredo. It almost tasted as if there was a strong cheese flavor in it. I was ok to eat my small sample portion from Andrew, but it was too rich for me to eat much more. The second side to this entree was a caesar salad. It had a garlicky dressing and was drizzled with a sweet balsamic glaze, topped with a thin crostini and a sheet of crispy melted cheese.
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| veal.parmigiana |
The wine I sipped on this evening was the Cecchi Chianti ($7.95 for a 6 oz glass). This was based on the suggestion from our server, as I'm not very knowledgeable in Italian wines. It was a soft, medium bodied red wine based on predominantly Sangiovese grapes. It paired well with my meal. Andrew had the Casasole Orvieto (same price), which is one of his favorite wines when he actually decides to drink wine. This wine's characteristics are that it is a light and semi-sweet white wine.
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| giant wine glass |
When our server brought over the dessert menu, I knew I was defeated and didn't plan on ordering anything. Before she even came to check on us for a dessert selection, she brought over a slice of the Decadent Chocolate Alla Dolce and sang Happy Birthday to me. Well, there was no way I was going to pass up a dessert that's sitting in front of me! It was a light cake that just dissolved on my tongue, frosted with chocolate ganache and hardened dark chocolate. It wasn't too rich, so it was the perfect way to end off the meal. As if that wasn't all, we were brought a sampler piece of fennel biscotti and Ouzo candies along with the bill.
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| chocolate.alla.dolce |
Our server, Annie, made us feel valued as customers. She was knowledgeable about the menu and wine list, she wasn't pushy at all, and she treated us like we were the only patrons in the restaurant. It really seemed like she cared about her job and providing exceptional service. Plus her jazzy rendition of "Happy Birthday" was probably my favorite version ever. Andrew mentioned that the server he had during his earlier visit was also pretty amazing as well. Kudos to Violino's for their service!
4.5/5
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