New is good as old at Vincenzo's

Cincinnati Enquirer, Thursday, December 16, 2004
Polly Cambell

Vincenzo's is movin' on up. The Italian restaurant has traded its Ohio 4 location in an old gas station for a new, roomy space on Chester Road in Sharonville.

The original, tiny restaurant was charming, but the charm had begun to wear thin. People do want amenities like elbow room and a place to wait for a table when it's freezing outside, and an owner/cook as good as Vincenzo Mazzoca deserves a kitchen he can turn around in.

But the move is a bit of a gamble for Mazzoca and his wife, Andrea. People can no longer say, "It's a crazy little place, but the food is surprisingly good. " In more conventional surroundings, the food can't take advantage of the contrast. It has to be good all on its own.

I'm happy to report that it is. With more room and help back in the kitchen, it's better.

The new dining room is a large, open space, not formal, but rather elegant, with its raised perimeter like an Italian loggia and a fountain surrounded by potted plants. It could actually benefit from a little imported coziness from the old place, maybe with lighting. But there's no doubt that its best feature is that you're not too close to anyone else.

We had a server I recognized from the original location, one of those rare ones who has the gift of acting like a host, not an employee or someone hustling for tips.

The menu looks quite familiar, with mostly the same dishes and a few new ones. I re-visited Vincenzo's funghi con salsicce ($8.95), which is still fabulous with its richly flavored Chianti sauce. Baked stuffed clams ($9.95) are new and good, with the bread crumb stuffing creating a setting for, not taking the place of, actual clams.

Unlike many Italian restaurants, Vincenzo's doesn't try to list every single possible Italian dish you can think of. There are some classic dishes, like pollo Milanese or spaghetti with clam sauce, but the pastas, especially, seem to be Vincenzo's own combinations of ingredients.

I ordered one of the classics: tortellini with Bolognese sauce ($13.95). It was delicious, though a little light on the meat, and the tortellini filling was a little gummy.

Probably the best entrée was the catch of the day ($14.95), which was tilapia. We tried it in a piccata preparation. The white, flaky flesh had a light crust and a lemony-caper sauce. It felt like a light meal but was full of flavor.

Saltimbocca ($16.95)is offered in a chicken version , though it can also be ordered, more conventionally and expensively, with veal. Chicken is sandwiched with prosciutto and provolone, and benefits from the extras of a light marsala sauce, spinach and mushrooms, with penne on the side. They're big flavors, and now they have room to shine.