Dino, Dean Gold and Kay Zimmerman's Italian Enoteca in Cleveland Park with Beverage Director Fabian Malone - Closed

[brr]

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!

agreed.....

[Pool Boy]

A bunch of my fellow wine-os and I descended on Dino about a month ago and we had a great time. The prosciutto was some of the best I have had since having it in Parma a few years ago. The things I got to taste were almost all universally good, with a particular mushroom pasta thing particularly sticking out in my memory. So good.

We got to take our time and we shared our wine with, I think, one of the owners (Dean? Dino? Sorry dude, there was a lot of food and wine going on there, so I was a bit distracted). Nice guy.

I need to bring back Mrs. TJ as she has not been.

[deangold]

Yes, I know that New Years is one of the worst nights to go out, but I have friends coming into town and I don't feel like cooking.  Any thoughts?  Last year, I know Indique did a reasonably-priced dinner that we thought was a lot of fun, but one of the people does not like Indian food.  I need to find a budget place that must also be vegetarian-friendly.  Italian would be good-- Dino? Notti Bianche?

Thanks!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

We will be putting out our New Year eve menu shortly (Chef wasout last week with a health issue so we are a little behind).

We are planning to have Prix Fixe. The blowout menu will be 7 courses for $80 or so per person (with a few upcharge items and a few al la carte additions available) If you are finished by 9pm, there will be a 4 course menu for $50 per person. We will have wine flights to match the dinners available as well. Seating will be available from 5pm until 10:00 pm.

Thanks Dean-- Unfortunately, due to a variety of reasons, Dino is not going to work for us (5pm is too early; later seating is too expensive).

You can reserve any time from 5pm up to 7pm for the early seating. The late seating is available for reservations made from 7:30 until 10pm.

Just double checking on pricing, since I went to your website (which you deserve to be SALUTED for since it's great, updated, and has all the important information there) and checked out the New Year's Menu, which doesn't mention the 4 course/$50/out by 9 prix fixe. Is that still happening?

Thanks for any info!

Hi

With the menu finalized now, we are offering the following...

If you reserve from 5pm until 7pm

4 courses $60.00 or 7 courses $75.00

A 7 wine tasting flight is available for $40 or $85.

If you reserve from 7:30 till 10:00 pm:

7 Courses $85

A 7 wine tasting flight is available for $40 or $85.

The $50 4 course was a typo! Mea Culpa

[deangold]

We will begin serving lunch This Friday. Lunch will be offered Friday and Saturday from 12:00 till 3pm. Brunch will be offered Sundays from 11am till 3pm.

We have our New Years Menu's completed. We will open at 5pm and have 2 seatings. Last reservation will be at 10pm. On the early seating, you have your choice of 3 courses plus dessert for $55 per person or 6 courses plus dessert for $75. The late seating will be 7 courses for $85. Wine flights will be available as well as our full list. Menu to be uip on the website shortly.

We will also be open on Christmas Eve and ahve some traditional specials as well. Hours Christmas Eve are from 4:30 pm until last seating at 9pm.

Last add, we have recieved a major shipment of cheeses from Italy:

Castelmagno (raw milk mixed milk cheese)

Monte Veronese (Raw milk cows cheese)

Formaggio di Fossa (Impossibly strong and funky cheese from Forli, romagna made from raw cow and sheep milk aged in a tufa ditch till it ferments!)

Erborinati (Raw milk cave aged blue)

Ragusana (Caciocavallo type raw cow's milk cheese with an amazing gruyere like flavor)

Ubraico all'Amarone (Cow and sheep milk cheese aged in Amarone pressings).

Torte Mascarpone with figs from Peck in Milan

[deangold]

We finally have our correct lunch/brunch menu up on our website. The new year's menu is there as well as our pre theater Menu della Sera.

[zoramargolis]

The Post gossip column this morning revealed that Dean's celebrity guests the other night were none other than the Bush twins. We now know what they ate (salumi, cheese among other things) And that they bought Dino t-shirts. Wonder what little birdie called the Post to spill all these details? Does this mean that Dino will overtake Smith Point as the new Young DC Republicrat hangout?

[porcupine]

Does this mean that Dino will overtake Smith Point as the new Young DC Republicrat hangout?

oh for the love of god Noooooooooooooooo !

[brian]

Wonder what little birdie called the Post to spill all these details?

Seeing as the birdie's description of the t-shirts matches those on the website, I have an idea...

[deangold]

Why that would be self promotion

[bookluvingbabe]

I had lunch at Dino last Friday. As I told Dean at the time, I didn't take the day off just to have lunch there but I did plan my day around being in the neighborhood in time.

A lovely break in the day and very much enjoyed it--the seriously addictive calamari and the lasagna were my choices. I was a wee bit disappointed that the menu had to be pared down but such is life and business.

Next time though I'm not sitting at the bar. As great as Chris was, I was pretty chilly!

Jennifer

[crackers]

Why that would be self promotion 

Slight punctuation correction: Why that would be: self promotion.

[jm chen]

Brunch!

French toast, sure, it's a standard. But where else will you lift your little pitcher of syrup, tip it, and watch plump preserved sour cherries drop one by one onto your toast? And where else will your bacon be veal bacon? Beyond standard, to say the least.

Take a book. Kick back. Enjoy about 83 cups of coffee before you finally ask the pleasant, good-natured waitstaff to hold off on the refills.

Happy Sunday morning to you.

[porcupine]

Brunch!

French toast, sure, it's a standard. But where else will you lift your little pitcher of syrup, tip it, and watch plump preserved sour cherries drop one by one onto your toast? And where else will your bacon be veal bacon? Beyond standard, to say the least.

Take a book. Kick back. Enjoy about 83 cups of coffee before you finally ask the pleasant, good-natured waitstaff to hold off on the refills.

Happy Sunday morning to you.

The eggs alla fiorentina are pretty darn tasty, too: foccacia, topped with prosciutto, spinach, poached eggs, and orange hollandaise. And why not follow up brunch with dessert? Simple as it is, I love the gelato affogato: vanilla ice cream with a shot of espresso poured over.

[Banco]

My first dinner at Dino Friday night was delightful. The place was so slammed that one could scarcely move about near the small reception area, but I was lucky to snag a spot at the bar.

I started off with the prosciutto, which at Dino is really the apotheosis of the pig: salty, fruity, fragrant, and paper thin owing to Dino's Willy-Wonka-esque slicer. Then came polenta with mushroom ragu: perfect for that cold winter night. The ragu flavors were intense and the polenta rich, creamy, but with the right hint of granularity. The roast chicken that followed obviously came from a superior bird, as it was deeply flavored without having undergone a very complicated preparation. The breast was overdone, but the rich flavor partially compensated for this foible. (I've heard from a few chefs that overdone breast meat is often the result of their serving properly done chicken, only to hear patrons complain that it's "underdone.")

Dino's list of wine and spirits is fascinating. The selection of rosati were warmly welcomed by this unabashed rosé admirer, and one of them was a nice companion to the prosciutto. The Costanti brunello di montalcino had a nose that took my breath away and was born to accompany the polenta and ragu. What I especially enjoyed was the selection of bitters, and Chris recommended one to me that was the perfect end to my meal.

As good as the food was, what I most respect and admire about Dino is the idea. Mr. Gold and his wife have realized an old dream that I think many on this board may have had at one time or another: opening a restaurant that attempts to recapture the quality and the character of the food they came to know and love while living in another country--in this case Italy. They have done a marvelous job, and I can only imagine how deeply fulfilling the well earned success of Dino must be to them.

[deangold]

A few events of note at Dino coming up:

Andrea Costanti Wine Tasting...

With all your help (and that of a few thirsty others) we have probably paid tuition for

Andrea's daughter in university by drinking up his 98 Brunello at a prodigious pace. If you would like to meet the man himself, we will be hosting a wine tasting January 30th. There will be a three wine flight available all night long. Andrea will be at the bar talking about his wines from approximately 6pm until 7:30pm. We will be pouring the 99 Brunello from Magnums for as long as our limited supply lasts. We will also have his 2001 Rosso as well. Final details are being worked out now: it will be posted on the website as soon as final!

After the first of the year, any Sunday thru Thursday, you can reserve a "Do it yourself wine dinner" for 8 people. Friday and Saturdays can be arranged early or late. We will pre-select 5 wines according to a theme (Montalcino, Piemonte, Barolo and Barbaresco, Valpolicella and Amarone etc.) and select 3 courses specially matched to go with the wines. The food is served family style, with 3 courses and dessert. Pricing depends on elaborateness of the wines and food, but figure about $500 for the table of 8. We have done a few of these so far and folk really love them. One group had 2 courses, 4 different 2003 Rosso di Montalcino and a bottle of 2000 Brunello and was out the door for $425 plus tax and tip. Call or e-mail me for more details, or to set one up.

[JLK]

Yum, sausage croquettes! And damn, those cheeses are great.

[JeffC]

Dean, thanks again for a wonderful New Year's Eve meal. Geri and I had an absolutely delightful time--not only was the food top notch, but the service was seamless and the company--including the couple at the table beside us--was fun. It was one of the best evenings we've had in ages. All I can say to the 20 who didn't show is that it was their loss.

You must find a way to get the mushroom tart on the regular menu.

And one very important question: Where can I find the 2000 Grattamacco Bolcheri Toscano that was--to both of us--the highlight of the wine flight? That's saying something, given the quality of all the wines you chose for the flights.

If we have to keep coming back, if just to get that wonderful wine, then so be it....

[porcupine]

I owe Dean an apology. I had a great meal at Citronelle and wrote a lengthy post about it here. But I've dined at Dino twice in the past week and said nothing. Sorry, Dean.

Dino is no Citronelle. But then, it isn't trying to be. I believe that it is trying to be a neighborhood joint where you can dine well without the expense or effort of a Citronelle. And it works.

My favorite dishes tend to be the simplest ones, because I can see and smell and taste (and even hear, if Dean is nearby ) the enthusiasm and love for the high quality ingredients that went into them. But many of the more complex preparations are fine, too, like the arancini (what to do with lefover risotto), and the meatballs, and polenta with wild mushrooms.

On Tuesday we took two friends there, and everything was excellent. The standout was a fantastic ribollita: rich, warm, satisfying, flavorful, filling - comfort food but on a higher level. It's a very succesful recipe that I hope gets put on the regular menu (at least for the winter).

On NYE we took two other friends there. The best dishes were the mushroom tart and the lobster and pork cheek garganelli.

On another forum I once wrote that my favorite restaurants are the intensely personal ones - the ones where you can imagine the chef (or owner) jumping up and down like a little kid when the first local tomatoes of summer come in - the ones where all the little details are a manifestation of someone's deep love for and personal involvement in food. I've been known to throw a party after discovering some new foodstuff, because I want to share the joy with my friends. Dean and Kay are like that, and it shows.

Is Dino among DC's best? Probably not. But it's one of my favorites. It's the kind of neighborhood joint that makes me wish I lived in the neighborhood.

PS two hours after posting my (now deleted) screed on the etiquette thread about breastfeeding, I was seated in the upstairs corner table under a painting of... a breastfeeding woman! Quick karma, Dean. Nice.

Edited January 2, 2006 by porcupine

[giant shrimp]

If the telephone message for Palena hadn't indicated something different about its opening hours for Jan. 2 than the closed sign on its front door, I suppose I would not have discovered as soon that the most recently remade king kong, across the avenue, is firing up the fattest roaches in town (in the country, in the whole wide world!) or that dino is worth a stab more often than I have been able to get around to. Of course, it has been hard to overcome the distractions: sushi-ko, heritage, two amy's and palena are all, more or less, within walking distance of home. Dino doesn't seem to mind, it always looks full whenever I trudge past the big windows on the orange room.

A slow night at dino may be a rare occasion, but we found it last night. I hadn't noticed the two weird quilted art works on the way in, across from the bar, during my one and only previous visit; if this is a depiction of italy, then it runs close to Sergio leone spaghetti western territory, judging from a cursory inspection.

It takes about 10 seconds after being seated to confirm my initial impression that this is wine country, with a wine list, a wine menu and a couple of wines specially noted at the bottom of the second page of the menu. Following an able bodied negroni and martini, we went for two quarter-litres of the ronco del gnemiz, billed enthusiastically as a fabulous tocai that's rich yet crisp. We liked it. This restaurant is guided by faith, hope and charity, and you do sink into the feeling that you could spend the rest of your life drinking wine here.

The dinner menu rambles on, covering a multitude of different sorts of meals. Cheese seems to be a shining star, but we had to pass on that because of a blue cheese from arrow that needed to be finished, perfuming our kitchen with the scent of a dirty diaper since shortly before the holidays. I found the crostini and cicchetti snacks hit or miss previously, which was an excuse at least to move on to the next page. The menu at dino can bog you down with possibilities.

A half portion of bigoi in salsa was better than expected since I'm not always a big fan of whole wheat pasta and had this dish pegged as something you can do at home just as well or better than wherever else you find it. A big slug of olive oil with anchovy, shaved garlic and onions, capers and parsley, it's a slick bowl of could-be-bland with sharp, intermittent notes to wake the whole concoction up. The ingredients speak for themselves, the pasta cooked done just right. this might even work cold if you returned to it following lengthy ruminations about almost nothing to nobody. The other side of the table seemed content with a fennel salad. (yes, I know the other side of the table, as a rule, falls into the who cares category, according to tom s. on one of his weekly chats last month, and he does have a point, at least in this case, because my wife can get touchy about sharing and was still coming out of a funk; she would have preferred a day re-seeing fay wray's replacement through the eyes of david lynch in a Hollywood hills movie and chomping on a cheeseburger, so I refrained from reaching over and can have nothing to say about her food at this point.)

A roasted whole rockfish with dabs of lemon, not just the juice, was pretty good, not mushy. I ate past the tail to the edge of the plate - a crunch cinder digestif, carbon is good for the belly, the peasants say - only avoiding the eyes, which were droopy from having spent time in an oven. I did successfully petition for some good duck pappardelle with melted cheese, and like the earlier pasta, it was strong stuff. We could take it, though I don't know about everybody.

Desserts were the low point of the meal, but we still left feeling fairly high. The espresso poured over the vanilla gelato was cold and sour. It didn't do the trick. (I miss coppi's from down the street, where I had both some very good and some of the worst Italian dinners I can ever remember and once got to sit in a booth facing Kevin bacon and his celebrity wife, who I had never seen in anything. All I could think of us was tremors. Anyway, at their original location I once received an affogato with nothing on it, and was asked if I would like some coffee. Also, they didn't know how to make a negroni, when it was listed on the menu. I wonder how they are holding up their end of u street these days.) and the aged parmesan reggiano with balsamic vinegar on it didn't have much combustion power either. The cheese seemed dry, as if it had been pried out of the fist of a dead shepherd and flown to America.

Overall, above all else, dino aims to please, and you actually pick this up from the restaurant, not just from reading the blog. The ingredients are as good as you would find at a premium Italian delicatessen, which as far as I know does not exist in this city. After just two visits, I have no doubt that there is way more that I don't know about the food here than that I do know. but this isn't yet one of those lucky north beach places you stumble upon, at least not for me. I am still waiting for the small miracles, which do exist in a different setting just a couple of dumb giant gorilla steps away. i am almost ashamed to say that we spent $150. this is a fairly expensive restaurant, though not unreasonably priced by any stretch, but if the tab sounds excessive, then please imagine that we gorged ourselves like pigs.

I almost forgot: our server was like a guardian angel. I'm thinking she could be from Russia.

[porcupine]

I almost forgot: our server was like a guardian angel. I'm thinking she could be from Russia.

Short, wavy, black hair, bit of an accent? That's Bea (don't know if that's the right spelling). She's a dear. And a conscientious waitress.

[jm chen]

Visited last night for restaurant week. Verdict: totally go.

I know it may seem like three courses for $30 is a bigger stretch at the fancier, dancier places in town, but as giant shrimp points out above, you can drop a pretty penny at Dino if you keep the orders coming. With pretty much the whole menu included in Restaurant Week pricing (except the large size of the proscuitto or salumi plate, and the $12 portion is plenty for one person) there's a lot to pick from, and if you choose, you can absolutely stuff yourself.

Which we did.

I've never had a bad server at Dino, and several are excellent, but Justin is the best of the bunch. He did his usual stellar work last night even as the house filled to the brim.

The bresaola is a great starter, meaty but clean, slices of beef topped with sharp dressed greens. My dining partner enjoyed her apple salad with goat cheese, hazelnuts, and truffles. (I helped her enjoy it; it's a big salad. Perfect contrast between all those elements.)

Dinners: the utterly creamy lasagnette and the rich, crunchy-smooth-garlicky butternut squash pasta with ricotta and walnuts. It's been a long time since I had the lasagnette and had forgotten just how truly awesome it is. In describing it to my friend, who is from Mississippi, I told her the filling was "kind of like pulled pork barbecue," and when she tasted it, she agreed. And then devoured a good portion of it. We both set aside some leftovers, because we knew what was coming...

Dessert. Now, not a lot of people would describe themselves as semifreddo hounds, but I am one of those people. So I had to go for the hazelnut semifreddo. Which was awesome. Possibly a little too freddo (frozen), a touch hard to cut into, but every bite of it was delicious -- it came in a little chocolate cup with a swipe of cherry sauce, and was just the right end to the meal. My companion was in rapture over the Nutella panini. I think she said the gelato with it was coffee flavored.

Give yourself a good 10 minutes with the menu to figure out where all the appetizers are -- they're in at least three different places -- and don't rush into your choices. But the RW list here is a lot longer than you'll see at the restaurants that treat RWgoers like second-class citizens (I'm looking at you, Red Sage) and you have got a lot of choices to make for your $30. For entrees you can choose from polenta, five or six pastas, fish stew, roasted chicken, stuffed steak, pork loin, and probably some other things that I might have remembered had I not started with a glass of prosecco on an empty stomach.

So, some other week, go to Dino like it's a neighborhood place where you can grab a quick bowl of pasta and a glass of good wine, or somewhere you gather with your friends for drinks. But this week, go there like it's a sumptuous three-course bargain.

[foodandreason]

I had a typically enjoyable dinner at Dino last night. We split a very tasty affetati misti. My partner had the intense and rich wild boar pasta and several ombras of wine. I was somewhat disappointed by my Sardi ai Funghi e Prosciutto, small shell pasta in a cream sauce with cubes of prosciutto. The prosciutto, it seemed (and hopefully in my assessment of how this happened I'm not completely off base), had been cooked in the sauce, because it was tough and close to flavorless, except at the very center. The prosciutto should have been discarded after that use and some fresh prosciutto added in. Alas, it probably would have been a better dish without the prosciutto chunks left in, but it was nonetheless quite a good dish.

[As Mr. Rockwell has asked, I will note that this was a regular meal, not a Restaurant Week meal.]

Edited January 11, 2006 by foodandreason

[deangold]

With all the restaurant week excitement, it may be a bit early to think of Valentine's day. We are offering a couple of fixed price options on Tuesday the 14th. One is a 5 course menu with three options each. The other is a "For Adults Only" menu of dishes that wither are reputed to have aphrodisiacal properties, or just seem obscene to us. The options are posted on our website. Unfortunately my web mistress (doesn't that sound like a domanitrix spider?) is too busy to repost my properly proofread V-Day menu so excuse the typo's. The wine pairings will be awesome!

[Giancarlo Buonarotti]

With all the restaurant week excitement, it may be a bit early to think of Valentine's day.  We are offering a couple of fixed price options on Tuesday the 14th.  One is a 5 course menu with three options each.  The other is a "For Adults Only" menu of dishes that wither are reputed to have aphrodisiacal properties, or just seem obscene to us.    The options are posted on our website.  Unfortunately my web mistress (doesn't that sound like a domanitrix spider?) is too busy to repost my properly proofread V-Day menu so excuse the typo's.  The wine pairings will be awesome!

I looked for Dino's on Open Table for Rw but did not see it. Not that it matters, will make my way over there asap, what are the hot items on the menu?

[cheezepowder]

Dino's expansive Restaurant Week menu motivated me to try it last night, and I'm glad I went. I really appreciate Restaurant Week menus that let you choose off the entire menu, and even though Dino may not be as expensive as other Restaurant Week restaurants, I don't think I wasted a Restaurant Week meal here (and in fact, I'm really glad I went). My dinner would have been well over $30 otherwise so it was a good deal.

When we sat down, I noticed the pepper and salt grinders and sea salt at the table. I really liked that, although I didn't need to use them. The restaurant gives a basket of bread and a little carafe of olive oil for the table, and last night, each person received a complimentary crostini with butternut squash and a crostini with a paste of cheese and basil (I don't know the official description) to start, which was a nice touch. I started with the calamari fritti which I really enjoyed. It came with rings and tentacles, and the calamari was tender, not like rubberbands. The pomodoro caldo that comes with it isn't a "sauce" in texture but more like a tomato tapenade, it's finely chopped and flavorful. You don't so much dunk your calamari in it as use your calamari to scoop it up. Like most places, the calamari was a big portion for sharing, and since it was just me eating it (husband doesn't eat calamari), I had to wrap up the rest to go and was happy to see that they also gave me the pomodoro (I can't tell if they added more or if that was the amount I had left) in my to go box as well. (I know, reheated fried calamari probably won't be the best. ) I had the pasta with mushrooms and prosciutto for my main course, which I also enjoyed but the dish had more oil (or maybe it was from the prosciutto) than I would like. I picked the 3 cheese plate for dessert. The server asked if I wanted to look at the cheese menu, but I didn't feel like choosing (maybe I was still overwhelmed from Dino's menu) so I told the server to choose. My favorite cheese was the marscapone with basil and pine nuts. The others were a cow cheese and a sheep cheese, and I can't remember their names. The cheese plate came with raisin bread, currants, a little cup of raisins and other dried fruits, and blackberries. I'm curious to try the other appetizers/small snacks so plan to try more of them next time.

[JLK]

Dino isn't on OpenTable.com during RW or otherwise. Don't miss the prosciutto, and I really liked the sausage fritters last time I was in. Dean's wine and cheese selections are reasons alone to go, as is welcoming barman Chris.

I looked for Dino's on Open Table for Rw but did not see it.  Not that  it matters, will make my way over there asap,  what are the hot items on the menu?

[dinwiddie]

Four of us had dinner at Dino for RW on Saturday night. Service was superb, the food wonderful, and we had fun talking with Dean (he does love Opera and wine, doesn't he)

In addition to the RW menu, we added a large cheese plate to share around the table and two of us had the wine pairing. I also brought a bottle of a Loring PN and was not charged a corkage fee.

Highlights (the cheese plate was out of this world) included the wild boar pasta (half order as an appetizer), the salami plate (the half size is more than enough for one and in fact was shared around the table), grilled baby octopus, and the chopped salad. The lasgana, the Italian bouillebaise, and the stuffed flank steak were all hits as entrees. Also out of this world were the sorbets and the vanilla gelato with balsamic (sounds weird but is great) for dessert.

Had a wonderful time, and even with the extra dish (cheese plate) the wine pairings, coffee and a large tip, it was about $55 a person.

Once again our meal at Dino was wonderful as we expected from past experience.

Edited January 16, 2006 by dinwiddie

[qwertyy]

Thanks all for the terrific reviews. I'm going tomorrow for my first time and am already salivating...

[qwertyy]

Thanks all for the terrific reviews. I'm going tomorrow for my first time and am already salivating... 

Eek. I just noticed that the Restaurant Week menu is served for the entire table only. Is that normal? One of my party is planning on just a salad...

[qwertyy]

The good news:  no problem ordering just a salad.

The bad news:  it's going to be a really expensive salad. 

[dinwiddie]

Eek. I just noticed that the Restaurant Week menu is served for the entire table only. Is that normal? One of my party is planning on just a salad...

Unless Dean extended RW, it won't be a problem since RW ended on Sunday.

[jm chen]

Unless Dean extended RW, it won't be a problem since RW ended on Sunday.

He extended it through Thursday, I believe.

[dinwiddie]

He extended it through Thursday, I believe.

That was nice of him, but since he left for Florence on Monday, he can let the folks at the restaurant deal with the rush.

[qwertyy]

I finally had my much-aticipated first meal at Dino's last night. Due to a dieting dining companion, we didn't order the RW menu... but I don't usually do dessert anyway (I'm a salty girl!), so no biggie.

The food was really tremendous. After learning that both my friends texted that they'd be considerably late, the terrific bartender plied me with two delicious crostini--squash and asiago. A promising beginning. (Why can't I get my winter squash to taste that good??) The chopped salad was a good-sized plate of veggies, including roasted beets, mushrooms, carrots, and celery, with a nicely tart dressing using phenomenal olive oil. The Italian bouillabaise really hit the spot too. The monkfish and mussels were a bit dry, but a fork loaded with a bit of fish, a bit of sauce-soaked bread, and a bit of tomato made for the perfect bite. The bread basket was good, too--especially so considering that we got to dip it in that phenomenal oil, sprinkled with sea salt. (Actually, I sprinkled the sea salt over most of my meal; not because it was badly seasoned, but rather beacause it's SO COOL to have that option.)

Unfortunately, our server really brough the whole meal down a few notches. Our bottle of wine didn't show up til halfway through the appetizers. The bread basket promised when we first ordered didn't show up until halfway through our entrees, along with spoons for the bouillabaise. Although one of my dining companions clearly ordered two crostini, three were brought--however, we didn't bring it up because that didin't really register with any of us until we saw on the bill that they'd also charged for three. Also, if you drop the check but we still have a half bottle of wine left, there's really no reason to come back every five minutes to see if we've paid, is there? And while I'm no design maven, my friend thought the upstairs was a bit, in her words, "Denny's-inspired."

Conclusion: We may return, but likely just to the bar for small plates and the terrific wine options.

[deangold]

Unfortunately, our server really brough the whole meal down a few notches.

I am in Italy till next Wednesday. Coupd you eamil me or PM me so I can follow up on my return. We pride ourselves on our service and it sounded like we really messed up your night. Thanks

[qwertyy]

Thanks so much for your concern, Dean. I want to reiterate that the busser, bartender, and consumables were all very good, so our night wasn't really "messed up." It was just a disappointment, not deserving of the food, to have so many hiccups in our meal from what may very well be a good server on a bad night.

On a more expansive level, whereas I am apt to give a second chance to a restaurant like Dino that's gotten consistently good reports, my friends who eat out a lot but aren't food geeks won't. Where do you all fall?

[Barbara]

I am in Italy till next Wednesday.  Coupd you eamil me or PM me so I can follow up on my return.  We pride ourselves on our service and it sounded like we really messed up your night.  Thanks

See what happens when you leave town?

[wranglerguy]

Well Barbara the man needs to have his time off like most of us do

See what happens when you leave town?

[deangold]

Just a reminder, we have Andrea Costanti of Montalcino coming into town Monday. You can meet him at the bar from 6 until 7:30 pm and enjoy a special flight of his wines:

2001 Rosso di Montalcino

2000 Vermiglio (Sangiovese, Merlot Cabernet "Super-Montalcinese" blend

2000 Brunello

First come, first served at the bar. The flight will be available all night long, but Andrea will be at the bar only until 7:30pm.

[CrescentFresh]

Tasty eggs florentine for brunch last Sunday. Try them.

[Heather]

Just a reminder, we have Andrea Costanti of Montalcino coming into town Monday.  You can meet him at the bar from 6 until 7:30 pm and enjoy a special flight of his wines:

2001 Rosso di Montalcino

2000 Vermiglio (Sangiovese, Merlot Cabernet "Super-Montalcinese" blend

2000 Brunello

And I am very much looking forward to the dinner afterwards!

[deangold]

And I am very much looking forward to the dinner afterwards!

It is sold out. We will have a Judd's Hill Cabernet dinner with Judd himself in March.

[cucas87]

I'm a little late to the party, but thought I'd report on a really nice dinner at Dino last night. I owed a good friend a birthday dinner and told her to pick where she wanted to go. She picked Dino because it's been on her list of places to try, so off we went. For two small people, we ordered and ate more than either of us thought possible. Perhaps we should consider competitive eating.

Anyway, we started with the calamari (wonderful and believe everyone who says the small portion is enough to share), the prosciutto (phenomenal) and we tried the sardine (I'm not a sardine person and would not have ordered it on my own, but it was not too bad for a sardine). I had a taste-sized glass of the Costanti Brunello (holy cow, I would have had more but I knew I had to come home and finish a project). We could have stopped there and been completely happy, but it was a birthday celebration so we ordered the butternut squash pasta (phenomenal) and the Tagliata steak, which was good, but not great. I can't point to anything wrong with the dish, it was flavorful and nicely cooked but it didn't "wow." That said, the dish is worth ordering for the arugula salad that comes with it.

At that point, sane people would have stopped eating. But a birthday calls for dessert and we pressed on. And my friend, the queen of desserts, had looked at the dessert menu before we ordered our mains, so there was no backing out. We shared the semifreddo with the sour cherry sauce, which I really liked, and the nutella panini, good but way, way too much after all of our other courses (not that we didn't eat it). My real disappointment was that I had wanted and planned to order the cheese for dessert, but by then I'd eaten so much that I couldn't do it.

When we left, we thought we'd let Dean know how nice a time we'd had, but we didn't see him, think he was upstairs, so Dean, we had a great time and will be back.

Edited January 30, 2006 by cucas87

[sophie75]

Also, if you drop the check but we still have a half bottle of wine left, there's really no reason to come back every five minutes to see if we've paid, is there?

Are you certain that is the reason why your server was checking on you? I've continued to return to tables to refill waters and coffees long after the check has been dropped. My doing so is not an attempt to push them out the door, but to ensure that they are well-serviced until they choose to leave. I would rather be accused of hovering than of neglecting my tables.

[qwertyy]

"Also, if you drop the check but we still have a half bottle of wine left, there's really no reason to come back every five minutes to see if we've paid, is there?"

Are you certain that is the reason why your server was checking on you?  I've continued to return to tables to refill waters and coffees long after the check has been dropped.  My doing so is not an attempt to push them out the door, but to ensure that they are well-serviced until they choose to leave.  I would rather be accused of hovering than of neglecting my tables.

I suppose one can never be certain about what's in someone else's mind. But we were the only table in the area, and while continually walking all the way over, she didn't actually ever fill up our (empty) waters.

This is a small, tiny complaint though--most likely unnoticeable had the rest gone more smoothly.

[wranglerguy]

Well here it is 12 days later and your still talking about your experience....I firmly believe that the server was being attentive. Geed servers are trained to keep a careful eye on tables to ensure everything goes smoothly. Perhaps the server picked up that you were UNHAPPY at the time of the delivery of the wine.... If you were the last table in the restaurant, should that have been a HUGH clue that it was time to leave???

I suppose one can never be certain about what's in someone else's mind. But we were the only table in the area, and while continually walking all the way over, she didn't actually ever fill up our (empty) waters.

This is a small, tiny complaint though--most likely unnoticeable had the rest gone more smoothly.

[CrescentFresh]

Well here it is 12 days later and your still talking about your experience....

What are you getting at?

[qwertyy]

Well here it is 12 days later and your still talking about your experience....I firmly believe that the server was being attentive. Geed servers are trained to keep a careful eye on tables to ensure everything goes smoothly. Perhaps the server picked up that you were UNHAPPY at the time of the delivery of the wine.... If you were the last table in the restaurant, should that have been a HUGH clue that it was time to leave???

If the server was being attentive, we would have gotten the wine before we were halfway through the appetizers and the bread sometime less than a half an hour after we asked (twice) for it. We were not the last table in the restaurant--far from it; we were just the only table in the area. And the only reason I'm "still talking about" it is that people keep asking about it.

I don't get why all the bitchiness. Why are you so angry? I thought this board was for posting our restaurant experiences. But you know better how my evening went than I?

Or maybe you work there...?

[deangold]

The reality is that we made multiple mistakes on the table. The kitchen go tthe apps out well before the bar got the wine out. As for the bread, somoone forgot to get it and the usually sure handed waiter forgot to check to see if they got it. In all it was a couple of mistakes coupled with an off night for a usually very competent waiter. That's what makes the restaurant business so much fun. Each table gives you about 20 chances to look bad if you mess up. While a .700 average would make one impossibly rich in baseball, it isn't good enough when shooting freethrows in basketball or in giving service at a restaurant. The customer's left with a bad impression of their service and that meant we failed in doing our job.

[Josh Radigan]

the owner has spoken. enough said, please move on.