I recently had an early dinner here with a group of friends. What I realized after we left was that we all had a great time and the setting is beautiful, but the food and service definitely fell short (which in this case, did not translate into an unpleasant overall experience despite the pitfalls).As is usually the case, the appetizers were all far more exciting than the entrees. I think the problem is obvious: when creating an entree, a chef feels like he needs to have a protein, a veg and probably a starch. Where as with appetizer, the freedom and creativity isn't hampered by some unspoken rule about what should be in an entree.
That being said, we started with the famous mozzarella al minuto (which by the way, is rightfully famous). A big, gooey ball of cheese covered in some slightly green olive oil and served with some garlicky toasted. Simple and perfect. And when everything was said and done, it was the one dish we were all still talking about (I actually wish I would have ordered it for dessert as well).
Other apps included the fritto misto (I loved the fried lemons, very refreshing and anytime a shrimp head is left on I'm happy) and the pizza with white sauce, broccili rabe, ricotta and chili oil, which was good, but could have been exponentially better if they actually put the chili oil on the pizza. It would have helped cut through the richness. Still, both apps were a good starting point.
When I asked our waiter what her favorite pasta was, she stated that the rabbit pasta is the one they are most famous. I immediately said yes please. Any opportunity to dine on a bouncy, furry critter is to tempting to pass up. That being said, I wished I would have passed.
The rabbit ragu with sage pasta was a very one note dish, overly salty and the homemade sage pasta didn't taste like sage at all. And regarding the bouncy critters in the dish- they could have braised short ribs and spared the furry guys and the flavor would be almost identical (plus a lot more practical, economic, etc). The mushrooms, rabbit and sauce was incredibly rich and earthy, which is fine, but I thought it needed some contrast (maybe some of that chili oil they forgot on my pizza would have helped).
The other entree I tried was the spicy wood oven crab. On that crustacean they definitely remembered the chilis. It was too spicy for two of the diners at the table, which worked out well because I could steal a leg or two. The crab overall was nicely done, but the heat might have been a bit over powering for some.
For desserts: bread pudding and chocolate cake. I am a sucker for bread pudding and when I saw the menu, the decision was made instantly. What I didn't read was that it was made with Pantenone bread, which is a very close cousin to fruit cake (which I loathe). Still the ice cream was good, I just couldn't get past the chewy fruits and bits of nuts that were hiding out in the pudding, waiting to assault my taste buds and jaw muscles. The chocolate cake was more like a mousse was also unimpressive and didn't get finished (again a one note dish with the saving grace being the 4 little raspberries on top).
When it came to our server, she was friendly enough, but failed to take care of the details. We brought a few bottles of our own wine- each time the server would open one, pour and that was it. Never followed up on the empty glasses. Easy to fix, we simply passed the bottles around ourselves and poured, but it was a slightly annoying detail. That being said, the guy filling our waters and clearing our plates was spot on. I drink like a camel and that water glass never got below half full so props to him.
Overall, the evening was nice, but the little things started to add up and anything above a 3 star rating wouldn't be deserved. I'm definitely willing to go back and give Tra Vigne another try... if for nothing else, that gorgeously gooey mozzarella.
