The real deal

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Hiya folks!
We're finally feeling better and as I mentioned in my previous post, we were thinking of going to a small neighboring town (San Vito) to a cool eatery we were told about. The director's brother had been there the week before and raved about it. He declared that it was the best meal he had had in the 25 years he has lived in Italy. So I called in for a reservation (the Italian is starting to come along nicely, although not fast enough for my needs) and we went last night (Saturday).
I've attached the photos of the place and as you can see it is an intimate little eatery. The owner gave me a business card and the place is the Enoteca Ristorantino "La Vinaccia". It is located in the middle of this small town and it was quite a trick to get there as we were unfamiliar with the town. The town was hopping as we drove in, their "passegiata" (strolling around) was quite busy and there was quite a bit of traffic. It is one of those quintessential towns with narrow streets and and two way traffic. We hauled along our school secretary again as she is a fun companion on our eating expeditions. After asking for directions we were able to get to the place in short order.
We walked in about 8PM and we were the first customers. We walked in and the owner promtly said "Espinoza!" She later complimented me on my name and said that she liked the sound of it; when she said it I figured that that is that way it would sound if Sophia Loren were to utter my name. :-)
This place knows how to do everything right, low lights, rustic decor without being cheesy, and zounds!!! Italian music instead of blaring techno or pop. They later turned it down some more so it was background music.
We started off with the obligatory bottle of water and a small appetizer of carrots, fennel root, and cetriola. This last item is cucumber but is round about the size of a softball and has a slightly sweet taste like a casaba melon. These were served with a garnish of made of mayo, anchovies, and garlic. I really liked it.
Then came two antipasti dishes; one was a black rice with a creamy cheese (light) sauce. The rice was nutty and crunchy to the taste. We also had these type of flat meatballs that were breaded with a beet, zucchini, potato, and bread crumb coat, very tasty.
Our bread basket was filled with an assortment of mini slices of bread. This is the best bread I've eaten since I have arrived.
We had orderd secondi rather than primi and secondi. We were glad we did. When our main dishes arrived we were primed to enjoy the dishes. Beth had a beef carpaccio that was soft and delicious; I think that it was smoked. Daniela had pork medallions and I had a fillet of beef. We all traded small portions so we could taste each dish. Each was gloious. My fillet was like buddah! It had a light gravy -like sauce with peppercorns. This was all washed done with a red Cantilupi Reserva - Conti Zecca. The wine was excellent!!
Afterwards, I had a chocolate tort (of course), Beth had biscotti (that needed some vin santo for the full meal deal) and Daniela had some cold gelato like dessert that was a bit sweet for my taste.
This is an absolute must return trip. I really liked the initmacy of this little place. The dishes were all innovative and right balance of herbs and flavors made each dish seem like a signature dish. This place is definitely 4 stars. Should you come and visit this is the 2nd place that is a must for us to take you there.

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Photos

The entrance
As you can see, it is a very small place, but full of charm and character.

A strategic location
A nice table to watch the comings and goings of the customers.

Cool fireplace
the place had two little dining spaces that were very nice.

The long view
I took this standing next to the fireplace.

Settling in
for a leisurely evening of dining.

cin cin
life's little pleasures...and I deserve it!! :-)