Weekend
SHAWN FENDER
The executive chef at Vaso Azzurro, Hasan Yildiz, presents the shrimp scampi plate.
VASO AZZURRO Continued from page 17
Dining Town on
AMERICAN
the
CHINESE
MEXICAN
CLARKE’S CHARCOAL BROILER
NEW TUNG KEE NOODLE HOUSE
CELIA'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT
615 W. El Camino Real Mtn. View 650/967-0851
520 Showers Drive Mtn. View 650/947-8888
Voted Best Hamburger 16 Yrs in a Row. Beautiful Outside Patio Dining.
(Inside San Antonio Center) Voted Best Noodle House in 2003/2004 Mountain View Voice.
3740 El Camino Real Palo Alto 650/843-0643 1850 El Camino Real Menlo Park 650/321-8227 www.celiasrestaurants.com
FRENCH LE PETIT BISTRO CHINESE CHEF CHU’S 1067 N. San Antonio Road corner of El Camino Los Altos 650/948-2696 "2008 Best Chinese" MV Voice & PA Weekly
1405 W. El Camino Real Mtn. View 650/964-3321 Casual and cozy French restaurant. 15 tables.
ICE CREAM GELATO CLASSICO 241 B Castro Street Mtn. View 650/969-2900
PIZZA KAPP'S PIZZA BAR & GRILL 191 Castro Street Mtn. View 650/961-1491 Happy Hours Mon-Fri 4pm-6pm.
shrimp, scallops and garlic in a chardonnay and saffron sauce. With a crisp Montresor Valdadige Pinot Grigio ($8 glass; $30 bottle) and a basket of warm focaccia to dip in a basil, garlic and red pepper-infused olive oil, it made for a substantial and flavor-packed lunch on my first visit. The shrimp scampi ($17.25 lunch; $19.95 dinner) is four rotund shrimp lined up in formation, wading in a buttery-garlicky pool and surrounded by a garnish of sauteed vegetables. It is the kind of sparse dish that can be measured in price-per-bite, but it works when each bite manages to be both decadent and delicate. I can’t be the only one to notice that in recent years the volume of a glass of wine is often inversely proportional to the price of a restaurant’s entrees. As the quantity has diminished — and the prices have inched up toward the double digits — I’ve come to watch the size of
the pour like a curmudgeonly old barfly, ready to pounce on the poor bartender with a lecture about how I am going to have to dip into my retirement fund to afford a simple glass of house white. At Vaso Azzurro, where some of the entrees do bump up to the pricier end of things, I was fully expecting the requisite oversized glass with an undersized pour. However, two copious glasses of a full-bodied San Fabiano 2006 Chianti ($8.50 glass; $32 bottle) were placed before us at the bar. And later, to my amazement, the bartender generously topped off our glasses before we moved to our table for lunch. Neighborly, old-fashioned touches like this, along with the highly attentive and unpretentious service, help distinguish Vaso Azzurro from so many other fine Italian restaurants in the area. The tag-team service was outstanding on each of my visits, never falling into overly solicitous territory. In fact, my husband and I put them to the ultimate Continued on next page
■ DININGNOTES
Vaso Azzurro 108 Castro St., Mountain View (650) 940-1717 www.vasoazzurro.com Hours: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 4-10 p.m. Daily
Reservations Credit Cards Alcohol Takeout Banquet Catering Outdoor Seating Noise Level Bathroom Cleanliness
If you would like to be listed in DINING ON THE TOWN please call Anna or Dianna at the Voice at 964-6300.
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■ MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE ■ NOVEMBER 13, 2009
Parking
low excellent street