Thursday, December 10, 2020

Vento la Trattoria

EDITED: Well, this is now a very sad post to share with you, because I had already written and scheduled it before the news broke that Vento la Trattoria has permanently closed. Another casualty of the pandemic. I know this restaurant will be missed by the community, but the good news is that Matt Harlan has announced that he'll be opening Chatty's Pizzeria in that location in about two months. Read more here at Cleveland Scene, and with his history with the Michael Symon Restaurant Group this is sure to be a winner.

The last restaurant on my 2020 To Dine Challenge list was Vento la Trattoria in Bay Village. Tucked in between Huntington Reservation in the Cleveland Metroparks and Bay Arts, the restaurant is known for their charming patio and views of Lake Erie in the distance. 

I had held out on this one, hoping that we'd be able to experience a patio night out. However, we just never felt comfortable during this pandemic to dine out while the weather was nice...so takeout it had to be.

We started with a perfect classic Caesar ($9) salad.

I had the Pescatore ($22) with homemade linguine, white wine, olive oil, and garlic topped with Chef’s selection of daily seafood. As you can see, it was a nice mix of clams, mussels, and shrimp.
Mr. H ordered the Matriciana with Meatballs ($24) which is their famous Matriciana pasta dish served with homemade linguini, pan-fried pancetta, onions, aurora sauce, and topped with two large meatballs.
Both dishes were simply prepared and quite good. The texture of the pasta was *chef's kiss*, and it all traveled home pretty well. The Matriciana was a bit bolder in flavor, so we did agree it was our favorite of the two pasta dishes. 

We also snagged a wonderful bottle of wine to-go. 

It is absolutely adorable inside. There is plenty of free parking in the large lot connecting the park and the businesses tucked in there.

That's a wrap on this year's To Dine Challenge. What a strange trip it's been, but I feel particularly accomplished considering that it was completed and with time to spare! Funny what can happen when you slow down...

EDITED: I consider this a lesson for us all. Let's get out there and support our independent restaurants through the rest of the pandemic. I know it's the reality for many of our beloved restaurants that they may not make it through this. Dine-in if you are comfortable, order takeout, buy retail wine or cocktails to-go, purchase a gift certificate for later use or a holiday gift, and tip generously.

Vento la Trattoria (now closed)
28611 Lake Road
Bay Village, OH 44140
(440) 835-4530

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