Italian treasures on the beach
By Mary D. Scourtes
VIGNA RISTORANTE
BOTTOM LINE: Quaint Italian jewel on the beach
WHERE: 17807 Gulf Blvd., Redington Shores
HOURS: 4:30 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday; 4:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday
CREDIT CARDS: All major
RESERVATIONS: Yes
SMOKING: Yes
CHILDREN'S MENU: No
HANDICAPPED ACCESS: No
CALL: (727) 392-8001
R E V I E W
REDINGTON SHORES - While Cara Rando welcomes you like you're a guest at her home, her husband, Sal, is back in the kitchen ready to devote an equal amount of attention to your dinner.
The Randos opened La Vigna, which is Italian for ``the vineyard,'' last summer in what previously was the Candlelight Restaurant.
The one-room, 70-seat restaurant is cozy, decorated with tiny, white lights and grape leaves. While the room has a soft, romantic glow, extra lighting is available for studying the menu.
Dinners begin on a high note with a rosemary-flavored focaccia and a crusty Italian loaf. Dip them into olive oil, served in olivada, a briny condiment made from green and ripe olives.
Pasta, pollo and pesce are all pleasers, including Fettuccine Puttanesca (ribbons of pasta with anchovies), Pollo Alla Campagnola (chicken and sausage) and Salmone al Forno (roasted salmon over tomatoes).
Appetizers include Old World favorites such as caprese, garden fresh basil paired with ripe tomatoes and homemade mozzarella. Calamaretti Dorati is tender, fried squid (watch out, it's easy to overindulge).
Carpaccio di Salmone Affumicato, an appetizer of bright green, peppery arugula leaves and sliced, smoked salmon, is punched up with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Vongole in Brodetto translates as fresh clams (these were slightly small), immersed in an herby tomato bath.
Cesarina salad is eggless, but not flavorless, with shaved Parmigiano cheese adding zest.
Those who like creamy dishes should try Farfalle Deliziose Con Pollo. The bow-tie pasta, wild mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and prosciutto are held together with a dainty cream sauce.
Penne Maritate is a feast - a mound of pasta tubes mixed with pesto-spiked tomato sauce and dressed up with plump shrimp and scallops.
Orecchiette Rustiche features ear-shaped pasta, lusty with garlic, olive oil and sun-dried tomatoes.
Broccoli di Rapa (rabe, sauteed in oil with garlic and pepper) adds zest to Costolette di Maiale Con Peperoni Agrodolci (pan-seared pork chops).
Saltimbocca La Vigna, highlighted with fontina cheese, prosciutto and white wine, is expertly cooked - the veal is fork tender and flavorful.
The list of seafood is short, but fulfilling.
Scampi Fiorentina features artfully arranged shrimp atop a bed of quickly cooked, beautifully green spinach.
One evening's special was red snapper with mussels, shrimp and clams, served over linguine.
Desserts are sinfully rich. Torta di Ricotta, on a sugar dusted plate, is moist and tasty with a hint of orange. Sorbetti di Frutta, a sherbetlike frozen dessert served in an orange, is bursting with citrus flavor. Save room for tartufo, four big bites of chocolate-hazelnut ice cream gilded with whipped cream.
Dinner for two is $55 to $65 with appetizers and desserts.
La Vigna Ristorante
