CrescentFresh Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 two crostini - the cod was wonderful and the blue cheese topped anchovy was god, although the blue cheese overpowered by anchovy somewhat Hi. Can you clarify? The blue cheese was overpowered by the anchovy or the blue cheese overpowered the anchovy? I had a prior encounter with this crostini where the cheese overpowered the fish. If you had it the other way around, it sounds like a perfect balance has been struck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm chen Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 I always thought the blue cheese and anchovy were in the right proportion, but then again, I don't like anchovy. The new fritelli (?) are incredible. Mashed squash, deep fried. Not light, exactly, but light for a deep-fried appetizer plate. Try 'em. I think they're on the specials list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brr Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 Hi. Can you clarify? The blue cheese was overpowered by the anchovy or the blue cheese overpowered the anchovy? I had a prior encounter with this crostini where the cheese overpowered the fish. If you had it the other way around, it sounds like a perfect balance has been struck! thats what I get for typing as I rushed into a meeting - the cheese definitely overpowered the anchovy, in fact I didn't get much anchovy at all I've edited my orig post so it reads like English Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookluvingbabe Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 We stopped in on Sunday for a hit and run proscutto plate along with some lovely wine and cheese. Had the la perla, the la tur and the blue ashy goat cheese. The la perla is amazing! Also had the amazing calimari fritti, which I think gets better everytime we go. We also walked down from Van Ness so had the advantage of feeling almost virtous. Jennifer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waitman Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 Last time he overated what most thought was mediocre.Edit to add - here it is - Etrusco From Tom's chat today. "In other news, I got a call last week from George Vetsch, whose work at Etrusco prompted me to award the Italian restaurant three stars ("excellent") earlier this year. I was subsequently surprised to hear negative reports from some readers and returned twice, a few months after my review, to see what the problem was. Indeed, the food was no where near as memorable as what I had experienced earlier. Unbeknownst to me, Vetsch injured his hand -- badly -- shortly after my review and was unable to cook. In fact, his injury is so serious he can no longer work in a kitchen, period, and is considering a move to the front of the house (though not at Etrusco, which is looking for a replacement). " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deangold Posted October 7, 2005 Share Posted October 7, 2005 Our new fall menu is making its debut tonight. We have increased the mercato selections and decreased the "permanent" selections. The best selling regular items are all still there, but we did eliminate a lot of dishes we felt did better as mercato items with a more limited run. Mercato items will now run for a week or two and the "regulars" will only change if seasonality forces us to change things. Ther Mercato is now on the main menu in the center. The separate page that used to be the mercato is now our chese and salumi selection. Starting next week, we will be adding some fun salumi: gunciale, and flat pancetta with herbs and spices are the first two. We may be able to get some lardo soon as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hersch Posted October 7, 2005 Share Posted October 7, 2005 Starting next week, we will be adding some fun salumi: gunciale, and flat pancetta with herbs and spices are the first two. We may be able to get some lardo soon as well. Would you mind revealing who your supplier of these things is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deangold Posted October 7, 2005 Share Posted October 7, 2005 Would you mind revealing who your supplier of these things is? There is no truth to the rumor that there are animals missing from the National Zoo... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brendanc Posted October 7, 2005 Share Posted October 7, 2005 Would you mind revealing who your supplier of these things is? got to this site www.dibruno.com what they don't have in stock, they can get for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deangold Posted October 8, 2005 Share Posted October 8, 2005 We use Salumeria Biellese Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deangold Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 New from Dino--- We are now taking reservations for any sized party! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 [ In case anyone's looking for a holiday gift for Dean... ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angelicatt Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 [ In case anyone's looking for a holiday gift for Dean... ] Very funny...true, but funny!!! But you wouldn't expect anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 New from Dino---We are now taking reservations for any sized party! Dean, I don't mean to put you on the spot, but I've always been curious what factors into the decision to take reservations, or limited reservations, or not take them... Would you mind sharing with us how you made this decision? Although I suppose I can already jump to the conclusion that the decision is always based on financial considerations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meaghan Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 (edited) I have a trophy, a very attractive turkey vulture on a marble platform, and I plan to donate to the restaurateur who starts the most posts in their self-entitled threads with "We..." It's beautiful. Edited October 10, 2005 by Meaghan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLK Posted October 11, 2005 Author Share Posted October 11, 2005 A friend and I checked out the newly updated menu at Dino tonight. Well, I did - he had the lasagnette, while I sampled white bean soup (vegetarian) and garganelli with sausage, winter greens, bread crumbs and butter. I really enjoyed everything (and my friend, a really picky fellow, ate every last bite of his dish), particularly the buttery breadcrumbs. I left a lot of the winter greens in my dish, but that's just me - I like a lower greens to pasta ratio. The sausage was excellent. No room for dessert. We arrived at 6 pm and there were at least four empty seats at the bar, where we chose to dine. By the time we left, the vultures were watching for us to depart, and the dining room looked full. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deangold Posted October 11, 2005 Share Posted October 11, 2005 Dean, I don't mean to put you on the spot, but I've always been curious what factors into the decision to take reservations, or limited reservations, or not take them... Would you mind sharing with us how you made this decision? Although I suppose I can already jump to the conclusion that the decision is always based on financial considerations. When we originally opened, we did not know how people would dine at Dino. As we went thru the test dinner process, it was abundantly clear that some tables were taking 2-3 hours and some taking 1 hour. We just could not predict a table time to book by. Now that we have been open a while, we are much more predictable and know the flow of the room. So we can write a reservation book that lets us book half the restaurant, and keep half for walk ins and not lose a lot of money with empty tables. Given our pricing, we just cant afford to hold a table an hour for a reservation and lose business when reservations have a 20-30% chance of no show. Also by offering reservations, we can smooth out the flow which tends to hit us hard at 8pm. We only have so many tables available at 8 but we can offer tables at 7 or 7:30 or 9 etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deangold Posted October 11, 2005 Share Posted October 11, 2005 (edited) [ In case anyone's looking for a holiday gift for Dean... ] Don... I didn't word my announcement very well. In a change of policy, we are now taking reservations for parties of 5 or under as well as the previous policy of taking reservations for parties of 6 or more. And hey, I am honored to be condsidered in the same league as Ms Allen. Thanks Rocks! Edited October 11, 2005 by deangold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris W Posted October 11, 2005 Share Posted October 11, 2005 Chef, Just to warn you I'll be there on the 19th with a bunch of other Vinophiles and Gastronomes so I'd stock up now...We may be there till' spring. Looking forward to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm chen Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 Here's the only problem with the new mercato set-up on the Dino menu: I go in, intending to revisit an old favorite... and invariably I spot something new, and try that instead, and develop a new favorite, which I will then again intend to come back for on my next visit, but then when I return, I throw it over in favor of yet another new special. The cycle, she never ends. Anyway, the shells with proscuitto, mushroom, and thyme cream was last night's new favorite. Flavorful and savory. And about as light as anything described as "in cream" can be. And speaking of not light, I had gotten something about a bread pudding ("Dolce Firenze") in the Dino E-mail, so I had to tuck into one of those as well. Chocolate cherry, with a pitcher of espresso cream poured (slooowwwwly) over it. Not overly sweet, nice mix of textures. Way too big for one person, but I did my best. They've got a whole bunch of other stuff in the works -- lunch, wine dinners, three-course menus -- which I'm sure Dean will either mention here or people can hear about through the mailing list. It's the blessing and the curse of the place: always something new and different! Jael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookluvingbabe Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 Mailing list? How did I miss the mailing list???? Sigh.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deangold Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 Here's the only problem with the new mercato set-up on the Dino menu: I go in, intending to revisit an old favorite... and invariably I spot something new, and try that instead, and develop a new favorite, which I will then again intend to come back for on my next visit, but then when I return, I throw it over in favor of yet another new special. The cycle, she never ends.Jael <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hehehe! Actually we are starting to slow down the changes to the mercato now that we have expanded it. We are looking at the dishes staying on the mercato for about 3 or so weeks each, and only changing about a third of it at a time. I mean I was not getting a chance to try everything myself! Mailing list? How did I miss the mailing list????Sigh.... Just send an email to eat@dino-dc.com with a subject line of Mailing list or saying put me on the mailing list in the body. We average a missive about every three or so weeks. They've got a whole bunch of other stuff in the works -- lunch, wine dinners, three-course menus -- which I'm sure Dean will either mention here or people can hear about through the mailing list. Starting Sunday we will have wine madness- a small selection of wines at 1/3 off our normal markup. This will run Sunday thru Thursday for purchases made from 5 pm - 6:30pm. The selection will include stuff like Brunellos from Le Macchioce and Val di Suga, a really good Chianti Classico from San Giusto, Barbaresco from Moccagatta and Ca'Rome, Dolcetto I Filari from Einaudi. While supplies last. We will also offer a 3 course meal for $25 per person, again from 5 to 6:30 pm. Lunch should start Saturday November 4. We will serve lunch Friday thru Sunday, probably 11:30 till 3pm. More on this when we have a menu and details worked out. Wine Dinners should also start in November. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookluvingbabe Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 You know, we're trying to save money to buy a house. You aren't making it easy!!! Great stuff and I'm looking forward to being able to stop in for lunch next month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbigjas Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 dean, would you by any chance be able to provide a source for some of those grappas you get? i was at dino on saturday and had that bertagnoli moscato, and the memory has been haunting me ever since. but unfortunately i live in philadelphia and a weekly trip to dino for snacks and grappa isn't in my cards right now, so i was thinking next time i was in town i'd get a bottle for taking home (the PALCB doesn't carry it--it does have some of the berta grappas, but they're special order only). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deangold Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 dean, would you by any chance be able to provide a source for some of those grappas you get? i was at dino on saturday and had that bertagnoli moscato, and the memory has been haunting me ever since. but unfortunately i live in philadelphia and a weekly trip to dino for snacks and grappa isn't in my cards right now, so i was thinking next time i was in town i'd get a bottle for taking home (the PALCB doesn't carry it--it does have some of the berta grappas, but they're special order only). The Brertagnoli si from Vias. I know they sell their products in Pa as my rep often travels there. Maybe they could special order it as well for you. They make a great Amarone grappa as well as the Moscato. I find their grappe on the delicate and smooth side for what they are. As if Turpentine can be delicate! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbigjas Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 The Brertagnoli si from Vias. I know they sell their products in Pa as my rep often travels there. Maybe they could special order it as well for you. They make a great Amarone grappa as well as the Moscato. I find their grappe on the delicate and smooth side for what they are. As if Turpentine can be delicate! thank you kindly. it's not so much the turpentine aspect of them that's delicate--it was the aftertaste. the jetfuel flavors dissipated pretty quickly, and for a good 30-45 minutes i could taste what was like the concentrated essence of moscato grapes.... it was amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLK Posted October 20, 2005 Author Share Posted October 20, 2005 Enjoyed some wine, prosciutto and cheese with two friends at the bar last night. Barman Chris is a total find. What a great host! I think he was enjoying the fact that literally every seat at the bar was taken by a woman. Not a dude in the group. OK, so we actually didn't stop with just wine, ham and cheese - we also indulged in crostini (a sampler). I continue to love the salsa asiago, but the butternut squash one didn't work for me. Kinda bland. [note to Dean - the crostini section on your web site is a little hard to read right now. The types are all squished together so that it looks like there is an option of "Alla Dino Zucca Salsa Asiago."] Loved the arancini. Giant balls of crispy rice with a spicy red pepper sauce. Here and there, the sauce was a little more intensely spiced than I would like. A hint of sweetness (tomato?) would have put this dish over the top for me but then again, maybe I am just thinking of the risotto fritters at 2 Amys which I always have with tomato sauce. One of my friends must have had about two dozen olives. The other enjoyed (and enjoyed and enjoyed) the cocktail that translates as The Dead Sicilian. Lots of fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deangold Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 [note to Dean - the crostini section on your web site is a little hard to read right now. The types are all squished together so that it looks like there is an option of "Alla Dino Zucca Salsa Asiago."] On our next website update we are switching the menu to a PDF instead of a web page. That way we can update each week and the formatting will be just like at the restaurant. We can also post our cheese list as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLK Posted October 20, 2005 Author Share Posted October 20, 2005 Oh, the cheeses! How could I neglect to describe them...so good. Personally, I loved the robiola you are offering. It was too runny and too pungent for my friend, but I thought it was fantastic. Liked the Oregon bleu too as well as the third (a complex-tasting hard cheese whose name is escaping me right now). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deangold Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 Personally, I loved the robiola you are offering. It was too runny and too pungent for my friend, but I thought it was fantastic. Liked the Oregon bleu too as well as the third (a complex-tasting hard cheese whose name is escaping me right now). We served tha last of the Robiola last night. More soon. The hard cheese might have been 34 month Provolone if it was a little tan/brown in color, or 4 year parm or 15 month pecorino. I wanted to get a bit of the Rob but it was gone before I could order it!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris W Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 Well it's official, Dean has got a gem of a restaurant on his hands. Where to start? The restaurant itself is uniquely laid out and while giving you the initial impression that it is small it actually has ample room which is compartmentalized really well. We had a table upstairs that was perfect for the amount of food and wine we intended to put on it. Dean guided us through the menu and as I commented to a friend earlier I was amazed at the amount of different foods I ate but in relativley smaller portions. There was always a plate on the table, we started with a bevy of cheeses to compliment a Billecart Salmon NV Brut and Alain Soutiran Brut Rose'. This was followed by couple plates of Crostini while we figured out what to order for appetizers. The whiped cod crustini which i tried was fantastic. We then as a table opted for a large plate of salumi and proscuitto accompanied with pickeled vegtables which are done in house. As a side note Dean is a wealth of knowledge......especially about cured meats. The next course of family style pasta dishes included the wild mushroom and proscuitto, as Dean noted, this is not a light dish...and it isn't but soooo good! We also ordered the wild boar pasta dish which was essentially pasta ribbons with a wild boar ragu, awesome. Once the Pasta was finshied off we moved onto the meat course which primarily made up of duck I forget the details and I'm sure Dean will help me out here but it lived up to the billing. I also got raves about the whole Bronzini and the white bean salad. I finished off with the Marscapone and Nutella sandwich, really good and I can't pass up that combination....ever. Great night. I'll be back soon! The wines we had with the meal are below, suffice to say all of them were fantastic, and it should be noted that the wine list at DINO is filled with great wine at even better prices. Banfi 1997 Brunello di Montalcino Antinori 1997 Tignanello Moccagatta 2001 Barbaresco Bric Balin Eredi Lodali 1999 Barbaresco (WOTN) Pio Cesare 1998 Barolo Pira 1995 Barolo La Spinetta 1995 Barbaresco Gallina Pelissero 2000 Long Now Langhe Macarini 2004 Moscato di Asti Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deangold Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 the meat course which primarily made up of duck I forget the details and I'm sure Dean will help me out here but it lived up to the billing. Duck legs poached in pancetta fat with dried sour cherries, honey and vinegar. Te sauce is defatter (well mostly ) and emulsified. Serves with a sformata of celery root and pear in a mashed potato base. Did you mention the two cheese courses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris W Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 Shoot I completely forgot the second cheese course while we were trying to decide what to have for desert. Dean put together a cheese course for us which consistend of a Parmesean Reggiano that I'm sorry but my memory is fuzzy on exectly the specifics but all the cheeses were off the charts good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brr Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 (edited) stopped by Dino for another snack yesterday evening Things we liked: - the warm welcomes at the door and the friendly, accomodating service - the salumi plate - the wine - the chicken liver and cod fish crostinis (although the cod I had last week was even BETTER) Things we weren't crazy about - the meatballs - kinda bland and certainly not as good as the meatballs at 2 Amys - the butternut squash crostini - also bland (echoing comments above) our daughter liked watching the meat get sliced! the part of me that wishes I was still on vacation in Spain also wishes that Dino would expand their crostini selection, maybe even changing some daily - I really like the idea of popping in here for a quick glass of wine and some crostini on the way home from work one of these days I really need to order the cheeses! Edited October 20, 2005 by brr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deangold Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 Shoot I completely forgot the second cheese course while we were trying to decide what to have for desert. Dean put together a cheese course for us which consistend of a Parmesean Reggiano that I'm sorry but my memory is fuzzy on exectly the specifics but all the cheeses were off the charts good. Tris di Granna- 4 year parmigiano reggiano from the Modenese hills, 34 month provolone mandarino valpadania, and 15 month old Pecorino di Pienza from Putzulu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monavano Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 That's it!! I'm going! I can't take reading these posts anymore without eating the food. My in-laws are comming into town next weekend and we are SO there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinwiddie Posted October 20, 2005 Share Posted October 20, 2005 (edited) I can't add anything to Chris W's write-up of the dinner except to say that the entire evening was fantastic. Dean spent a lot of time with us, explaining the cheeses, the salumi and proscuitto (the proscuitto was absolutely fantastic) and talking wine (after all it was a wine dinner) His list is awesome. There are wines on that list that would go for twice what he charges in some other restaurants here in town. The crustini were wonderful, the whipped cod was a star, but the blue cheese and anchovie was great too. The pickled vegs that accompanied them were pickled in house, and boy you have to watch out for those tiny peppers. I ate one and had to reach for the bread so I could taste the wine again. The cheeses were out of this world. Served with some wonderful dark raisin bread and a handful of wonderful grapes and baby kiwis (thank you Raybanz for eating them before I got one) both plates were perfect. Dean chose the cheeses to go with the wines that were being drunk and the match was perfect. The first plate was eaten with the champagnes and the second with the much more robust Barolos. The pasta with wild mushrooms and proscuitto was to die for. So much flavor that one of our group ordered a plate of it to go to take home to his wife. The wild boar pasta was very good, spicy and full of flavor. I had the duck and it was special. The duck leg was huge, and the meat so tender it fell off the bone. The sauce sublime and the sformata of celery root and pear in a mashed potato base was a wonderful counterpoint and worked well to sop up the remaining sauce. I had the bread pudding for dessert. It was served with a small pitcher of flavored cream that made the texture perfect. The serving was huge, so much so that I couldn't finish it (though that wasn't a problem since the others at the table polished it off.) Service was excellent. New plates and silverware were constantly being provided, the stemware appropirate for the wines (the table was a forest of glasses and bottles) and Dean even provided a couple of decanters for some of the wines that would benefit from decanting. In fact it was Dean's day off, but he was in the restaurant working on the wine list and ended up spending a great deal of time with us (I hope you enjoyed the wines Dean, we certainly did and enjoyed having you there to talk wine and food and everything else) The restaurant is lovely, spare and clean but cozy. As Chris said, it is larger than it looks at first glance. Easy to get to (just a block from the Cleveland Park Metro) and a definite great addition to the plethora of good restaurants in the area. Run, don't walk to Dino, you will definetly enjoy. Thanks Dean for making our meal a memorable one. Edited October 20, 2005 by dinwiddie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deangold Posted October 21, 2005 Share Posted October 21, 2005 We have a few announcements of new programs at Dino: First off is our Menu della Sera. This is a three course menu available from 5 to 6:30pm Sunday thru Thursday. The price is $24.00 per person. To go along with the above menu or just with dining off the regular menu, we have wine madness- a selection of 10 wines at 1/3 off their regular price on our list. Last is we are starting wine dinners. November 1 is Parusso Barolos plus and November 30 is Inama soave and Nicolis Valpolicella and Amarone. Call the restaurant or email us for information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan7147 Posted October 22, 2005 Share Posted October 22, 2005 We have a few announcements of new programs at Dino:First off is our Menu della Sera. This is a three course menu available from 5 to 6:30pm Sunday thru Thursday. The price is $24.00 per person. To go along with the above menu or just with dining off the regular menu, we have wine madness- a selection of 10 wines at 1/3 off their regular price on our list. Last is we are starting wine dinners. November 1 is Parusso Barolos plus and November 30 is Inama soave and Nicolis Valpolicella and Amarone. Call the restaurant or email us for information. This sounds like a great idea. I am looking forward to attending the Barolo dinner on Nov 1st Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deangold Posted October 22, 2005 Share Posted October 22, 2005 This sounds like a great idea. I am looking forward to attending the Barolo dinner on Nov 1st Make that November 3. Sorry!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miami Danny Posted October 30, 2005 Share Posted October 30, 2005 Just want to send kudos to Jessica, the bartender on my last 2 visits (both Mondays). Smart, patient, and funny, good wine and food recs. Great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookluvingbabe Posted November 2, 2005 Share Posted November 2, 2005 Monday night. The dinner choices at home are a chicken that needs to be roasted (so 90 minutes from prep until dinner) or chili that was so spicy my eyes are still watering. We chose Dino instead. A little proscutto, a little cheese, a little wine. Perfect. We also tried the polenta with wild mushrooms--great, earthy dish. For dessert I tried the pumpkin "pie" which is delicious but being crust-less is really more of a custard. Mr. BLB tried the grilled nutella paninni. A lovely evening. We concluded with a stop at the organic grocery store for milk where we spotted Dick Gregory but Mr. BLB was too shy to tell him how much he admired his work and one of his books. Oh well! Jennifer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm chen Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 Lunch should start Saturday November 4. We will serve lunch Friday thru Sunday, probably 11:30 till 3pm. More on this when we have a menu and details worked out. So... will there be lunch tomorrow, Dean? Or has the schedule been revised? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deangold Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 Revised. We are still working out the menu but as should have a new date shortly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyblues Posted November 7, 2005 Share Posted November 7, 2005 (edited) I had the chance to return to Dino Saturday evening for a friend's birthday. 9 of us upstairs at the long table in the lovely back area. I felt badly for our wonderful server, Justin, as three of the 9 decided to be half an hour late, and the rest of our party held off on orders till they arrived. Order wise, maybe it makes sense to keep things together, but I can't stand lateness for dinner reservations. My highlights of the evening were the sliced steak served rare as requested and Montalcino wine, which showed me that I can actually enjoy red wine. The chocolate bread pudding with espresso cream was lovely...not nearly as heavy as most bread puddings can be and I liked the light espresso flavor as opposed to the usual liquor-based sauce. Tastes from friends: the roast chicken (how do you keep the meat so moist, the skin so crispy, and the wings so addictive? Thank god my friend doesn't like dark meat...I have a leg and thigh at home in the fridge for dinner tonight), butternut squash pasta (simple, sweet/salty, comforting, with just enough bite from the chives to cut the slick of butter and cheese) and the nutella and mascarpone panini (simply heaven). This is becoming my go-to place for nice dinners and casual nights, and I'm grateful for it being so close by. ETA: Cost for the 9 of us was approximately $400 including tax and tip due to a lack of drinkers in the party. Even the birthday boy abstained...what's up with that? Edited November 7, 2005 by amyblues Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLK Posted November 9, 2005 Author Share Posted November 9, 2005 Nice shirt, Dean! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPW Posted November 10, 2005 Share Posted November 10, 2005 Nice shirt, Dean! As many of you who have seen me on Fridays could guess, I approve! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm chen Posted November 16, 2005 Share Posted November 16, 2005 It was only a matter of time. Proscuitto is today's Worth the Trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLK Posted November 17, 2005 Author Share Posted November 17, 2005 I really enjoy Dino as a snacking joint. In five or so visits, I have never sat anywhere but the bar, and I have never ordered a main course. Pastas have been a mixed bag for me, but meals composed of smaller dishes, cheese and prosciutto have not let me down. Dinner last night started with crostini. I continue to enjoy the Salsa Asiago, but not "get" the butternut squash variation. I find it bland, not to mention hard to eat; the cubes of squash jump off that little toast round right into my lap each time I take a bite! The prosciutto is indeed worth the trip. Of the three cheeses sampled last night, one really stood out for me. It was a provolone (I believe the 34 month Guffanti Provolone). I hear provolone and think boring thin slices of a mild white cheese best used on steak sandwiches, but this was something else - a very complex sweet/salty taste that lingered. I loved it. We had two other cheeses, both very good, but that was the standout for me. I also had a half portion of the Cinghiale (description below), my second time trying this dish. At first, I was concerned. The pasta looked dry and was stuck together. Chris behind the bar caught my expression and whisked it away, bringing me a fresh dish very quickly. Much better, great flavor, but even as a half portion, it was too much for me. Pappardelle al Cinghiale 12 half / 18 whole Wild Boar Pasta- Fresh pasta ribbons with a traditional Tuscan condiment of wild boar with onions & herbs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deangold Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 (edited) So... will there be lunch tomorrow, Dean? Or has the schedule been revised? Lunch will begin Friday December 2 at noon. We will serve lunch Friday and Saturdays, with a Sunday brunch on Sundays starting at 11am. We will close at 3pm and reopen each day at 5. The menu should be up on our web site next week sometime. We still have openings for our wine dinner next week featuring Inama, Nicolis (Soave, Valpolicella and Amarone). 5 course meal featuring stuffed veal breast, brodetto and a wonderful cheese plate. Call or PM me for more info. Edited November 23, 2005 by deangold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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