On a recent Friday evening my wife, Kat, and I decided to
venture out on the slippery, snowy Reno streets for our first
classy-ish meal in some time. As we slid into the parking lot of Vivoli
Café and Trattoria, I remember thinking two things: Why
didn’t I buy new tires last summer when there were so many great
sales? And I hope this meal is worth leaving the comfort of my living
room.
At 7 p.m., the place was near empty. Had we arrived 15 minutes
later, we would have ended up standing around the entry waiting for
diners to finish their leisurely meals and make way for us. Renoites, I
know this sounds strange, should consider making reservations.
Vivoli’s dining area is dimly lit and simply decorated with
mirrors hung on the dark yellow walls and dark brown woods and
upholstery as accents. The center of the room is packed with tables
and, from our comfortable booth in the corner, everyone else looked a
little cramped. Shortly after we took our seats, a gentleman brought us
some warm tomato and herb foccacia with a side of pureed black olives
and parsley. It was a fine start to a delightful meal, which only got
better when a singer and pianist kicked off some relaxing jazz
standards that Vivoli makes available on Friday evenings.
Vivoli opened in Reno about a month ago, but there are three other
locations: one in Mexico and two in Southern California. So it makes
sense that even in its infancy the service and food would be so well
executed. Our server was a strange kind of great. To say he was
confident not only in the food he served, but also in himself as a
server would be an understatement. He recommended everything—the
fish, the pasta, the pizzas, the meat dishes—it’s all
amazing. His was the kind of sell you don’t really believe until
the first bite hits your mouth, and you say, “This is pretty
good.”
That evening I had a powerful craving for a Bloody Mary ($7) and a
margherita pizza ($11.95), so that’s what commenced the meal. I
told the server, “the spicier the better” on the drink, and
for about the third time in my life the bartender took me seriously.
The pizza was very simple: 12-inch thin crust and topped with
mozzarella, tomato sauce and basil. The crust was beautifully baked,
removed from the oven right before crispy becomes burnt. However, I
thought the pizza was topped with too much cheese, which made it a
little oilier than ideal.
For an entree, Kat picked the gnudi Toscana ($13.95): fresh spinach
and ricotta dumplings in a butter, sage and parmesan sauce. While the
extensive offerings of traditional chicken, seafood and meat plates
looked inviting, I was in the mood for comfort food. So I ordered the
penne alla Bolognese Gratinate ($14.95): baked penne topped with a meat
sauce and mozzarella. Kat’s dumplings were similar to gnocchi,
and their consistency was just right, not the least bit chewy. I
absolutely relished my dish. I’ve had baked penne that leaves the
oven dry, but such was not the case at Vivoli. The meat sauce was salty
and rich, and the entire thing was covered liberally with
mozzarella.
In true decadent style, we ended with the tiramisu ($6.95), which
was a portion made for three. When the owner held the door for us to
leave, it felt so cold that I almost turned around to find out what
other tricks that bartender had up his sleeve. But I decided that
wouldn’t be much fun for my pregnant wife, and besides,
we’ll be able to have nice meals like this again in a few
years.