BookGuy Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 On Saturday afternoon, I stopped at Vicino's, a red tablecloth Italian restaurant on Sligo Avenue in Silver Spring one short block from Georgia Avenue and across the street from Jackie's. We all had fairly simple stuff, two different treatments of veal, calamari, and the child had a small and cheap ($6.00) cheese pizza. I had previously had the roast veal which they cook to order and recommend it. There don't seem to be many of these old fashioned Itialian restaurants around any more and I miss them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Horoscope Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 Keep it in mind when soft shell crabs are in season. Soft shell crab francese! Yeah, that veal chop is good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lydia R Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 I first found Vicino's this summer after being disappointed by a closed-for-lunch Jackie's (below). Until last week I was unaware of their Jazz Cellar and its use as a party/meeting room. They have an almost full-basement decorated as the circa 1955 rumpus room of the neatest jazz-loving Italian-American dad in your neighborhood. It's complete with jazz posters, strung holiday lights and Pastafarian shrines to Ol' Blue Eyes. Compared to the plastic-kitsch of Jackie's, this is genuine kitsch-y kitsch. Last week we had a babyshower in the Jazz Cellar. We didn't get charged for the room and were made to feel welcome (how do you say amuse bouche in Italian?). The easy-going (efficient and unfazed by about 15 separate checks) staff kept the evening rolling. The desserts were a big hit - never made it to cannoli before. I'd suggested the place because we needed something close to work and affordable for the attendees (a mix of professional and clerical/support staff). I was the only one who'd eaten there before, but it’s safe to say they made a gang of new, repeat customers... Funny, don’t hear much about Jackie’s lately. <snip>Yesterday I dropped by around 1:30 for a late Friday lunch and was met by just a "Closed" sign hanging from the door (the place was dark and deserted). Thought maybe I was just too late for lunch service, so I had my second "consolation prize" lunch in the old-school italian place across the street (previously blanked on the closed Monday thing). <snip> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 Pastafarian??? I LOVE it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 Pastafarian??? I LOVE it! Pastafarian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lydia R Posted March 14, 2006 Share Posted March 14, 2006 Pastafarian??? I LOVE it! Haile Selassie is to Rastafarians== as == Ol’Blue Eyes is to Pastafarians It's just a neat neighborhood place - hopefully it'll outlast many of the chains moving into downtown Silver Spring. Please note that I only suggested the place - the party organizers made the split checks request. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara Posted March 14, 2006 Share Posted March 14, 2006 Haile Selassie is to Rastafarians== as == Ol’Blue Eyes is to Pastafarians Wouldn't it be fun to see this analogy on an SAT test? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffC Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 Haile Selassie is to Rastafarians== as == Ol’Blue Eyes is to Pastafarians It's just a neat neighborhood place - hopefully it'll outlast many of the chains moving into downtown Silver Spring. Please note that I only suggested the place - the party organizers made the split checks request. What a treat to log on and find a Vicino's thread! No danger of Vicino's going away--it was there when I moved to SS in 1993 and will almost certainly outlast me. Their clientele is loyal and have little interest in the new chain places littering the downtown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Posted December 31, 2006 Share Posted December 31, 2006 We tried Vicino's tonight not really knowing what to expect, and came away thoroughly unimpressed. Calamari fresh tasting but very greasy Anchovies with peppers Canned anchovies, canned-tasting roasted peppers, and large hunks of raw garlic. Lasagna watery, and the ingredients were strangely unintegrated, as if some ricotta, a few noodles, and some ground beef were thrown in a dish and warmed up - without the layering typical of lasagna. Veal Piccata Very tough veal swimming in an oily sauce with at least a 1/4 cup of capers. Spaghetti with meatballs For the kids. Unremarkable. We each had a $3 "San Pellegrino," which came in a bottle with no cap or label, as if they reused the bottles. It's cheap, and local but that's about all that can be said for it. We'll be giving Sergio's a try the next time we want Italian in the neighborhood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lydia R Posted May 17, 2007 Share Posted May 17, 2007 They have an almost full-basement decorated as the circa 1955 rumpus room of the neatest jazz-loving Italian-American dad in your neighborhood.I was really wrong when I assumed this about the owner.John Landis wrote a great profile of the owner in the May Silver Spring Voice entitled "Only in America - Ghanian immigrant brings his own Italian flavor to Silver Spring" After about 14 years at Bethesda's Pines of Rome first in the kitchen and later as a server, John Eshun completed his CPA training and looked to open his own place. John was building a great following at The Pines and he knew he wanted more. The family was living at Summit Hills at this time and John and a friend, Marcial Mejia, a cook and co-worker, yearned for something greater. They first looked at the site now occupied by Mi Rancho restaurant. Then John saw a vacant building on Sligo Avenue that had once housed the Sligo Inn. With the help of two benefactors, Jack Lyons and Tommy Tavener, they put their plan in motion. On October 5, 1989, Vicino opened to a packed house, a phenomenon that continues to this day. John has since bought out his partner Marcial and John and Jane had another son, Eric. The kids are all grown now; Frederick is a mechanic in Bowie, Eunice manages a Red Lobster in Greenbelt, and Eric serves in the U.S. Army. Stationed at Fort Stuart in Georgia, Eric is currently deployed to Afghanistan after two tours in Iraq. John and Jane are immensely proud of their children and rightfully so.Interesting backstory for this place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Horoscope Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 The veal roast is back, after having been off the menu for a while now. Still serving the white pizza with cheese and herbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lydia R Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 Before it completely slips into the cloud, here is Mssr Freedom du Lac's September 2011 informative article profiling Ted Carter and detailing the origin of Vicino's Monday night jazz performance area. Here are thumbnails of photos by: Evelio Contreras/THE WASHINGTON POST With this, my post count is triple nickle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 With this, my post count is triple nickle. 111 more ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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