Vino Lafayette

Dinner tonight in Vino, a small (24 seat) Italian restaurant in Lafayette, on Plaza Way near the old theatre. I saw it there and heard about it, and now we finally tried. I think we have a new favorite place for a delicious, healthy, moderately inexpensive meal. :Here is the fun part – the new child is 78 years old. Vino is owned by Castro Ascarrunz, a semi-Italian, semi-basque maestro of the kitchen, the 16 different restaurants in 54 years since its move to Lafayette. He owns the joint, he waits the tables, he sings, I think he plays the piano that takes up the space of another 4 seats. Quirky is an understatement for this tiny festival of food. Here is the list of daily specialties: Specials tonight. Castro is proud of how healthy his food is–no addition of fat, butter or commercial sauces. There is no sugar. He sells wine, but no limes or juices. He had to boil me a glass of iced tea, nobody's done yet. It's good that we keep some sweeteners in Gail's purse. Our dinner began with the olives, Dolma, white bean salad and inlaid vegetables Castro, before we even ordered, along with the warm fresh bread and a dish of olive oil. Castro is the only waiter, and at 78 he moves smoothly and economically. We shared the bruschetta, which was excellent, then I ordered the piquillo paprika, two sweet paprika filled with a mixture of goat cheese, potatoes and white beans. Gail chose the roasted snapper from the specials and was totally enthusiastic about the excellent preparation and presentation. The accompanying vegetables were so good that we even finished the string beans; she held the smashed spuds excellent. I had the simplest of all dishes–pasta with olive oil and garlic. To get this dish right is harder than it seems as the balance must be perfect. Fortunately, this court was on the money, and I was a happy camper. Vino is open only 4 days a week, Wednesday thru Saturday, 5 to 8:30. The weekends are busy

The owner is a little boss, but I think this is part of the charm of this place. I thought the food was average (I'm hard to like when it comes to Italian food), but my friends loved it!

My son and I stayed by and it was a very pleasant surprise. Not a big place and the owner is very hands on operations. He is a fascinating man who feels welcome to you with an old world vibe. The food is fresh and very good. My son had the chicken parmigiana and it was delicious. I had spicy meatballs and pasta. It was good, but didn't taste the spices. Next time I'll go with the woman. She would love it.

At the first moment you enter this restaurant team give you a good feeling. Very warm stuff, it is a good restaurant to hang out with buddies or with your date. Great cooking, professional chief cook and stuff, modest cost and professional service. Highly recommended.

Hello Lovers! If you haven't been to Vino's, you are really missing out on a one of a kind experience! The food is fantastic, the prices are reasonable, and the owner is a wonderful human being! If you are lucky, he may even play the piano while you dine!