The Skeptical Diner: Al Vento
If you watch television — and boy, is there some television out there to be watched — you’ve probably seen the ads for Minneapolis Italian restaurant Al Vento. A vaguely Euro-looking guy gets all sensual about the sauce he lays down on pasta while standing alone in a poorly-lit restaurant… it’s got a 1980s music video quality about it somehow.
At any rate, the ad’s at least a cut above other locally produced spots (Brides of France, for example.) And so when couple of friends who live near Al Vento (which is at 34th Ave. and 50th St.) pitched it, I was psyched to give it a shot.
For starters, the restaurant’s got a daily menu. Daily menus are, as a general rule, a great sign. When done correctly, they’re a way to take advantage of whatever happens to be fresh (and/or available for a good price), and are a way to make every visit feel different. They also represent a certain underlying enthusiasm on the part of the chef — an excitement often lacking from mediocre eateries.
A chef’s choice appetizer was a solid way to start — it boasted artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and three kinds of cheese. Almost more like a salad separated into its elemental components, it brought a fresh charge to the opening of the meal.
Al Vento’s fettucine amatriciana with tomato and pancetta was a solid rendering of one of my favorite spicy red sauces — it had some real meaty snap to it. I was only able to finish about half of the generous portion, but hey — this stuff also makes a good leftover. Particularly when wrapped in a foil swan.
My fiance’s chilean sea bass with a grilled pineapple compote was tender and flavorful, the fish’s mild flavor complemented ably by the citrus accent. I’m not a real fan of cooked fish, but this was an elegantly composed dish.
Throughout the meal, smugly attentive and well-informed servers ensured a pleasant and well-staffed dining experience, plying and re-plying our party with delicious beverages such as Boulder’s Single Track beer and an excellent mildly sparkling vino verde.
For all its strengths, Al Vento lacked the sheer imagination and focus of Broders Pasta Bar, which remains — for now — my favorite Italian restaurant in the Twin Cities. Al Vento’s prices, which ranged from reasonable ($13 for the amatriciana) to the steep ($20+ for some of the other entrees), weren’t a travesty, but neither do they make Al Vento a solid fallback eatery. That said, if you’re looking for a high-class Italian place that’s more imaginative and welcoming than the reliable but somewhat predictable Campiello, Al Vento’s a solid choice. And it wasn’t crazy cramped and crowded in the same way that Broders inevitably is.
This is also pretty solid first date territory here. That is to say: it’s classy without being stuffy or pretentious, quiet enough for a conversation without being awkwardly library-silent, and hip enough to display an understated confidence. That’s just me, though. I mean, different people like different kinds of first dates. Green Mill, for example, is probably at the top of some folks’ lists.
And I don’t begrudge people that. They do have “more-than-legendary pizza.”
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“meaty snap”
I’m going to try to use that in a sentence today.
It’s sad if you think Broders is the best Italian. Campiello, amongst other blow broaders out the water.
Why Broders’ over Campiello?
The Campiello menu leans heavily on stuff like a designer martini menu designed for tourists. Broders’ leans heavily on pasta.
Campiello serves the same upscale Italian I’ve had at 20 other restaurants. At Broders’, I hit combinations of seasonal ingredients and artisanal pasta that are inventive, simple, and successful. I’ll grant that Campiello’s regional theme stuff is sometimes successful, but I think Broders’ has even more menu churn and more carefully thought through entrees without needing to rely on gimmicky themes.
And I don’t mean to question your critique, but somewhat hard to take it seriously if you cite no specifics in your comment… and can’t actually spell “Broders’” correctly twice in a row.