Vito’s Italian Ristorante and Wine Bar
Vito’s Scallops Florentine
A couple of weeks ago I was invited to check out a newish Italian joint on Hayes Street. I say “newish” because it’s not exactly brand spankin’ new. Vito’s has been on my radar for quite some time, ever since my friend Kelly tweeted about her fantastic lunch discovery a few months back.
Since seeing her tweet, I’ve heard several other people rave about the very economical $7 lunch buffet of pizzas, pasta, soup, and salad. Yet, despite that, I admit that I still have yet to try the buffet.
Instead, in my two visits there, my food has been made to order off the dinner menu.
And it was terrific.
Vito’s Caesar Salad
The Scallops Florentine appetizer is luscious. Creamy. Rich. The first time I had this dish, it was as the appetizer it is meant to be. I enjoyed it so much that on my next visit, I ordered it as my entree with a small Caesar salad.
And this is not a normal Caesar salad. Vito’s serves up one of the best Caesars I’ve ever had. With the addition of goat cheese and sundried tomatoes, it has flair. Delicious flair.
Vito’s Beef Tenderloin with Marsala Demi Glace
Now, there is something you should know. I’m not a pasta lover. Sure, I enjoy a little bit every now and then, but I’m much happier to have a big piece of meat and a pile of fresh vegetables. That’s why this next plate of food was perfect for me. A beautifully cooked mid-rare tenderloin filet with demi glace, asparagus, carrots, and small portion of gnocchi.
Oh, the gnocchi. You don’t have to be a pasta lover to appreciate this gnocchi.
Vito’s Kevorkian Cake and Tiramisu
Talk about a happy ending. A bowl of amazing tiramisu and Vito’s take on “Death by Chocolate”, the Kevorkian cake, was probably enough to feed 3 or 4 people, but I almost polished off both of them all by myself. Layered chocolate cake with chocolate mousse topped with crushed pistachios, rumor has it that each of these cakes contains 2-3 pounds of Belgian chocolate!
If that’s how I need to die, then at least I know I’d die happy.
UPDATE
~This business is now CLOSED~
Vito’s Ristorante and Wine Bar
1812 Hayes Street
Nashville, TN 37203
Hours
M-Th 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
(Lunch Buffet M – F 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.)
Fri 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Sat 5 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Note: my friend (and dining partner) Chris has a great write up over on the Scene Bites Blog, where he offers up far more details on the names, faces, and background of the restaurant, so be sure to check it out!
I think what surprises me the most is that no one seems to be talking about how Vito is Cesar’s (of Cesars from white bridge rd) son! Vito has years of training and I’m not surprised he was able to establish himself like this. I hate that Cesars had to close, but I’m excited that Vito still has a restaurant-and one that is more upscale. I look forward to trying out his spot, he has invited us a couple of times and I have no idea why we haven’t taken advantage of the opportunity!
I know, I started to mention the connection, but didn’t have time to write a detailed background about the family and do it justice, so I just included that link to the Bites blog post above. Chris did make mention of it in that piece.
And yes, you definitely MUST get over there soon!
I love this place, and it was so good to go for dinner last night. The salad is the most amazing thing, I couldn’t stop talking about it in my blog post! And I tried the gnocchi last night with vodka sauce, so good!
I don’t know how I forgot that you wrote a blog post!! I remembered that you raved about it, but was thinking it was on Twitter. Now I’ve included a link in my blog post to your blog post since you have a great overview of the lunch buffet :-)
Awesome, thank you Beth!!
A $7 gourmet Italian lunch buffet? Sign me up! Thanks for cluing me in on this place–it looks fantastic!
That caesar salad looks delicious!
As one of the qwners of this special restaurant, I want to thank Beth for the fine write-up she gave. Yes, Vito is a master chef with many years of culinary experience,and he loves what he does. Time will prove that Vito’s Ristorante and Wine Bar will be a very popular Nashville dining place. See ya! Jerry
Mmmm…all of that looks tasty!
I’m definitely coming-in for a visit!
:)