I attended a Tastecasting event last night. I’ll start off being transparent about the event: it is an event to allow restaurants to show off a bit. I think it’s a good way for a local restaurant to get word out without it costing them too much, and it allows some local bloggers the chance to try a place they may not have tried. What these events are NOT: reviews. This is not a review of Vito’s, it’s a dining event.

With that said, I thoroughly enjoyed the evening at Vito’s Cafe. It was fun talking to other foodies around the table, and it was great meeting Vito and Mary, Gina (the sous chef) and the staff at the restaurant.

I had a bit of a drive, as Vito’s is in Ft. Thomas, Kentucky, about 45 miles away, so I left early in case I hit traffic. I got there about half an hour early, so I thought I’d wait in the bar. It turned out I wasn’t really all that early, as others started showing up soon after, but I did get to try a Cattail Ale from the Red Ear Brewing Company. Red Ear is actually brewed on the premises by Vito and Mary’s son, Matt. My thoughts on the ale? To put it succinctly, I would order it again.

The ale was not too heavy, a bit hoppy but nicely balanced with a touch of spiciness. It was a really nice ale that was easy to drink and not too filling, leaving room for the meal to come.

We were taken to the back dining room, with dark red walls, mirrors hanging around the walls, and a large stained-glass window. Mary mentioned that the decor had been described as “Brothel Chic”. I have to say that the term fits, but not in a bad way. The room was comfortable, and I would not feel out of place in a jacket and tie or in jeans and a polo shirt. There’s a small stage with a grand piano between the front and rear dining rooms, which I didn’t get at first. After Vito talked to us a bit about his history, it made sense. Vito’s has singing waiters!

The singing bit comes honestly to Vito’s Cafe, though. Vito worked at Asti in NYC, supposedly the first singing waiter restaurant in the US. Having singing waiters is a part of Vito, and it makes sense. Honestly, the singers that evening were very good, and it was a fun part of the evening.

The menu for the night included:

• Primo Assaggio of roasted beet with ricotta salata
• 1st course of Beef Tartar with sriracha aioli and fried caper berries
• 2nd course of Shrimp Bisque with a petite shrimp salad
• 3rd course of Baby Arugula Salat with a citrus vinaigrette and shaved Parmigiano
• 4th course of Squid Ink Fettuccine with a lemon sage butter
• 5th course of “Brasato al Barolo” braised beef with porcini mushrooms
• Dessert of assorted budino

Vito’s also served wines along with the courses. The white served was a Feudo Arancio Grillo, and the red was a Feudo Arancio Nero D’Avolo. The red was actually a wine brought to our wine party last year, which I really enjoyed.

The primo assaggio was brought out after we met Vito and Mary, along with Gina and the staff. I’m not usually a big fan of beets; typically, they’re just ok. The ricotta salata, with just a sliver of fennel, really made the whole bite work nicely, though. The primo assaggio is the Italian version of an amuse bouche, which is just a bit of something served when you first get to a restaurant, compliments of the chef. This is something Vito’s is planning on doing in the evenings.

The first course of beef tartar came out with what I’m guessing was a quail egg on top, along with crostini and a great sriracha aioli. The beef was coarsely ground, and it all was just great! I would have loved more of this, and I’d definitely order this off a menu. The egg really kind of brought it all together, especially topped with the sriracha aioli.

The shrimp bisque followed, which was made from scratch in house. The texture was light, and the flavors were nicely layered. It wasn’t overly heavy like cream bisques can be, and the shrimp that was used in the bisque really showed through with a nice, subtle saltiness. I even liked that it was served in espresso cups, which is a great serving of bisque to me any time.

The third course was a baby arugula salad. I like arugula for it’s peppery freshness. The one thing I would have changed about this, though, is that I would have taken some of the stems. The citrus vinaigrette was light and had nice flavor. The shaved Parmigiano was a nice taste with the arugula, too… A nice follow up to the bisque.

The fourth course was a nice example of the house-made pastas, a squid ink fettuccine. It had a sage lemon butter sauce which came across as kind of a brown butter sauce, with a hint of garlic. The garlic was nicely done and not over strong. The scent of garlic was almost more than the flavor, and the sauce was the right amount for the fettuccine, just coating the pasta without puddling in the dish.

For some, knowing a chocolate dessert is still coming would be the best thing, but, for me, they saved the best for fifth, not last, with braised beef with porcini mushrooms and parsnip puree. The beef had a nice, richness to it from the fat in the beef, but it had been braised well enough that it the fat was gone, leaving just the mouthfeel, and the meat wasn’t cooked to the point of losing texture. I could eat this stuff every day, by itself on a sandwich, with a goat on a boat, however I could get it. Like some of the other dishes, the amount of salt was right where I liked it, just so I knew there was salt without it being salty tasting.

While we were eating, we also were entertained. Our waitress had a great voice; I wish she’d sung more than she did. Vito also graced us with a song, as did our waiter. They all sang well, and I’ve been at places with singers that don’t sing well at all… Good singers make it fun. Ok, bad singers can be fun, too, but not in the same way!

Finally, dessert was brought out, which was one of three budino. We were served white chocolate with raspberries, butterscotch with brandy sauce and chocolate with salted caramel. We also had coffee or espresso. The butterscotch was better than I expected, and I didn’t have the white chocolate. The chocolate with salted caramel was great, though… But I love salted caramel. Budino is similar to pot de creme. Each were topped with whipped cream, though it would have been great without it. The espresso went great with the dessert.

Tastecasting wants us to present these events without any negative comments; if I have something negative to say, I’m going to try to say it, or not say it, in a nice way usually, anyway. With Vito’s, I don’t have anything negative to say, really. Was it the most cutting edge cuisine? No, but it’s not meant to be. It’s meant to be house-made pastas and well done Italian dishes that people can enjoy. it’s not a modern, leading edge interior, but it’s comfortable. I think there’s care in what’s done, from Vito and Mary having hearts for the restaurant to the chefs caring about what they’re sending out to the tables, to the wait staff providing both good service and entertainment. I wish Vito’s was closer so I could go back more often.

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