July 29, 2015

Pasta Vino

Tucked in a shopping center next to a Presidente Supermarket in North Bay Village sits Pasta Vino. This emerging neighborhood gem specializes in Italian cuisine, but the diverse background of Chef Yiannis Devert leads to a multitude of dishes that range from French to Greek as well. Walking into the restaurant, you sense an ambiance of slight elegance, one that is just enough to supplement the quality of the food. “I didn’t want to create an atmosphere that was too fancy,” says Devert. “I want this to be a neighborhood restaurant that people can feel comfortable in. That means that you could come in to eat pizza with your kids, or bring your girlfriend for a date as well.”

Devert wants his food to speak for itself, and our experience with what he had to offer was one that we were pleasantly surprised with. You don’t expect the type of food that Devert is sending out in a shopping center restaurant. Try to stick with the specials, as that is where Chef Devert’s ingenuity is most prominent. The Snapper Tartare successfully showed the chef’s mastery of French cuisine while utilizing fresh Florida seafood to create a dish that was refreshing on a hot summer day. Pasta Vino’s version seems to be a bit on the sweeter side, which is a nice change compared to the common appetizer normally made using a bit of shallot, some dill, maybe some parsley, and a squirt of lemon.

The Lasagna Fiorentina, which happens to be on the menu, consists of Bolognese sauce, copious amounts of mozzarella and ricotta, and sautéed spinach. Served with a plate of ground Parmesan, this lasagna seemed lighter than most thanks to spinach. This green added a bitterness and freshness to a dish that is typically extremely decadent and filling. We were thankful for this, as it left room for the Pepper Crusted Tuna with Cognac Demi Sauce. This was easily the best dish of the night, as the extremely flavorful and almost spicy crust also acted as a textural component of the dish. Cutting into the tuna, it was perfectly cooked with a prominent pink interior, which revealed the great quality of the seafood being served at this restaurant. The Cognac demi alluded to the Chef’s French roots, making for a luscious and delicious compliment to the rest of the dish.

More people need to be aware of Pasta Vino. This is a restaurant that isn’t trying to revolutionize the restaurant scene or reinvent the wheel. Instead, it just hopes to become a neighborhood joint that people will frequent and feel at home in. Sometimes, places like these are the ones that serve the best food and offer the best experience.