Vigneti
Vigneti is an odd restaurant in an odd location. It’s *tucked into a corner of the new Library Hotel, on a block not far from the New York Public Library that becomes very quiet after the workday ends. Perhaps the unnatural hush made Vigneti’s owners want to *crank up the volume on the sound system, transforming what seems, from the outside, to be a charming trattoria, with rustic wooden tables and tall-backed chairs, into a *throbbing, party-hearty singles bar. Vigneti is the Italian word far vineyards. It’s a *tip-off that the 200-bottle wine list here is a focal point. Italy dominates, of course.
There are lots of Barolos, Barbarescos, Chiantis, Brunellos, Amarones and super Tuscans, but also a surprisingly large number of wines from France, California and Australia at prices that do not hurt. A more tranquil atmosphere would help.
The bar scene can be hectic, and the narrow passage between the bar and many of the tables ensures that diners get *slammed a minimum of 20 times, either by waiters or other diners heading to the restrooms, before the meal is done. This is a pity, because the food is good. The old standards like fritto misto, caprese salad and cacciucco, the famous Ligurian fish stew, are treated respectfully. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen spaghetti carbonara on a menu, but Vigneti offers it without embarrassment.
And why not? It’s hard to resist the combination of sweet cream, pancetta and Parmesan in the *dead of winter.
If the appetizers seem a little *perfunctory, the pastas deserve dose attention, especially cavatelli with hot and sweet sausage tossed with San Marzano tomatoes, ricotta-stuffed ravioli in a rosema ry-accented white wine sauce, and penne with rock shrimp, pumpkin,
- scallions and tomato.
Vocabulary
to be tucked into: to be pushed or folded into a small confined space or concealed place
to crank up the volume: to increase the volume
tip-off: a warning or hint, especially given confidentially and based on inside information slammed: struck with violent force
dead: a period during which coldness, darkness or some other quality associated with death is at its most intense
perfunctory: done superficially, only as a matter of routine; careless or cursory scallion: any of various onions or similar plants, such as the spring onion, that have a smaIl bulb and long leaves and are eaten in salads
throbbing: pulsating or beating repeatedly
QUESTIONS
1.Where is the restaurant called Vigneti?
a) in Los Angeles
b) in New York
c) in San Francisco
- How does Vigneti look like from the outside?
it looks like a traditional Eng lish pub
b) it looks like an old, shabby inn
e) ìt looks like a charrning trattoria
“Vigneti” is the ltalian word for:
a) vineyards
b) restaurants
c) wines
