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LAVA THE NEW LOOK

LAVA THE
The Brooklyn Papers / Greg Mango

There are some restaurants that rise to
the level of neighborhood institution. Bay Ridge’s Vesuvio is
one of them.



The once simple pizza parlor has remained in the same spot on
Third Avenue since 1953, and has changed ownership just once:
in 1978 when Nino Viscuso bought the place.



Nino is still the owner; you can spot him behind the counter
filling boxes with hot-from-the-oven pies in Vesuvio’s pizza
area. (Vesuvio is named for Mount Vesuvius, the only active volcano
in Italy.) His son Antonio manages the dining rooms.



While pizza is an important part of the menu, the original neighborhood
eatery has undergone a serious makeover.



In 2004, Viscuso expanded the restaurant into the next-door storefront,
creating plenty of space for a large, comfortable yet sophisticated
dining room. Walk from the pizza area into the dining rooms,
and you’re met with an elegant yet informal setting.



The walls of both dining areas are paneled in warm tones. Marble-like
tables sport jute-woven place mats in earthy neutral tones, and
huge glass jars of ruby red peppers create an inviting display
atop wood shelving.



Like the setting, the menu is a hybrid of sorts, straddling typical
pizza parlor fare and more than the usual red sauce dishes. For
casual dining, the pizzas are thin-crusted and simply topped,
and there are plenty of hero sandwiches "alla parmigiana"
to sate that particular craving. The pastas include crowd-pleasing
basics like baked ziti, stuffed shells and linguini with meatballs.
Alongside those favorites are delicate veal entrees, carefully
prepared seafood and poultry dishes.



After warm pieces of rustic Italian bread served with butter,
and squares of house-made bruschetta topped with ripe tomatoes
redolent of garlic, came little stacks of grilled portobello
mushrooms topped with a velvety grilled red pepper and thick
slices of mozzarella cheese. The appetizer was tasty, if not
exciting, but it couldn’t hold a candle to our serving of calamari.




All evening, platters of golden-brown fried calamari, one of
the house specialties, were carried to other tables. The kitchen
serves it two ways: "fritti" with a side of marinara
sauce, and "arrabbiata" topped with a light tomato
sauce and slices of sauteed cherry peppers. We tried the "arrabbiata,"
Italian for "angry," and it was a delight. The coating
on the big pieces of squid was crackling crisp; some of the slices
began to soften in the deeply flavored sauce, making each mouthful
a mix of crunchy topping and pleasantly moistened batter. The
peppers added jolts of spiciness. It took willpower not to polish
off the entire platter.



A serving of linguini in white clam sauce was just as delicious.
A large bowl of perfectly al dente pasta was ringed with tiny
clams in the shell; a mound of the sweet, chopped mollusks took
center stage. The clam broth was clean tasting and briny. Soft,
nutty, whole cloves of garlic gave the dish sweetness, and plenty
of chopped fresh parsley lent its fresh, delicate fragrance.




The "melanzana," better known as eggplant, featured
thin slices of the lightly battered vegetable layered with mozzarella
and topped with a fresh-tasting tomato sauce. The dish was a
little heavy on the cheese but still enjoyable.



The only thing that marred tender scallops of veal was an overly
thick, brightly lemon-laced white wine sauce. The sauce on the
chicken "Scarpariello" was also thick, but so winy,
with such a mellow garlic flavor, that my comment is more of
an observation than a criticism. Who could complain with such
moist pieces of chicken breast and that sauce so fragrant with
piney notes of fresh rosemary?



The dessert roundup offers the same tried-and-true favorites
that you’ll find in most Italian restaurants and, increasingly,
bistros of all persuasions: tiramisu, cheesecake, gelato and
tartufo. There’s even the ubiquitous molten-centered, warm chocolate
cake – deliciously appropriate for an eatery named after a volcano
– served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It will make chocolate
lovers happy. The espresso is strong, without being bitter, as
is the rich coffee.



One thing that Vesuvio has that you won’t find anywhere else
is Antonio. He is a gracious host without appearing formal; he’s
attentive yet not too familiar, and he resembles my favorite
character on the HBO series "Six Feet Under," the handsome
Federico. His presence and the simple Neapolitan dishes: That’s
a winning combination.

 

Vesuvio (7305 Third Ave. at 73rd Street
in Bay Ridge) accepts American Express, MasterCard and Visa.
Entrees: $6.50-$21. The restaurant is open daily for lunch and
dinner. For more information call (718) 745-0222.