Enjoy Authentic Italian Food at Newly-Opened VV The Italian Experience in Mt. Lookout

BY KELSEY GRAHAM

Anew café and shop, VV The Italian Experience, opened in April on Mt. Lookout Square, promising to dish up an authentic Italian experience in the Queen City. Owners and husband-and-wife team Melissa and Andrea De Giorgi moved from Italy to Cincinnati eight years ago and always knew they wanted to honor their homeland in their new country.

“As Italians, we just love our country, our food, our traditions, our culture,” Melissa De Giorgi told CityBeat. “So, we tried to bring some of Italy with us.” Opening a restaurant was a natural next step to bring their vision to life and pass on their Italian traditions. “This was our dream to create a place as Italians, as we used to do and enjoy in Italy,” said Melissa.

The couple wanted to recreate an Italian la cafeteria, a place for family and friends to spend time together, relax for breakfast and lunch and enjoy aperitivo, or happy hour with delicious bites. The space is simple yet elegant and combines both vintage and modern Italian styles in a seamless and welcoming manner. “We want to show what it means to be in Italian style,” said Melissa.

When you first walk in, you’re greeted with a display of Italian pastries you can grab for breakfast or as a mid-day pickme-up. “All the pastries and desserts are 100% authentic Italian,” said Melissa. The filled cornetto looks similar to a French croissant, but Melissa describes them as softer, similar to brioche. These Italian pastries are made in-house, available plain or vegan, or filled with pistachio, custard, apricot, chocolate and Nutella. “Nutella’s a must,” laughs Melissa. Next to the cornetto is the conchiglie, made with more flaky puff pastry dough and filled with luxurious chocolate.

Behind the counter, you’ll see a full-service coffee bar ready to craft your favorite steamed or cold java the Italian way, including cappuccino and espresso. The coffee beans are imported from Lecce, the owners’ hometown.

“It’s our mission just to let customers taste our coffee and taste real cappuccino.” One of Melissa’s favorite drinks is the espressino freddo, made with one shot of hot espresso with cold espresso cream on top. “It’s the kind of summer treat we used to have on the beach in Italy,” she said.

As you walk further into the store, you’ll see a medley of scrumptious Italian desserts in the side display case, like cannoli, torta della nonna and tiramisu. Nestled amongst these classic desserts is one of Melissa’s favorites, the bomboloni, which she describes as similar to doughnuts, available plain or filled with custard or chocolate.

And it’s not just baked goods you’ll find here, but also a variety of freshly made paninis, made with Italian meats and cheeses. One of the show-stopping sandwiches in the display case is the Focaccia Nessun Dorma, filled with orange-flavored onions, greens, Stracciatella cheese, pistachios, and organic extra virgin olive oil, all sandwiched between two thick slices of light and delectable focaccia.

Along with the fresh-made paninis, the lunch menu also offers fresh salads and soups, like the Sofia Loren made with greens, shrimp, marinated zucchini, mixed seeds and organic extra virgin olive oil, or a classic Caprese salad made using mozzarella imported from Italy.

And would it truly be an authentic Italian experience without pasta? Of course not. The menu offers a mix of new and old favorites on the menu like the classic Bologna made with a tasty homemade meat ragu overtop tagliatelle. “We couldn’t miss the Bolognese,” laughs Melissa. “It’s a must.” For Melissa, it was essential to represent the wide variety of Italian cuisine and be inclusive of different dietary preferences. For example, Melissa describes a seafood option, Salentina, that tastes like the “flavor of the Italian sea,” made with rapini, friscous (similar to couscous) and a fish spread.

Offering a vegetarian dish was a natural choice, too; as Melissa said, “In our region, we really use a lot of products from the land.” The veggiefilled Pugliese is made with housemade orecchiette mixed with cooked and sundried tomatoes, black olives, mint and burrata.

The aperitivo menu rounds out the food choices with a chance for family and friends to gather and enjoy drinks and light bites at the end of the day. Some of these tasty bites include trays with Italian cured and uncured meats, cheeses, vegetables and spreads that can be enjoyed with Italian cocktails, like a negroni, Paloma or the housecrafted VV cocktail made with rum, apple liquor, simple syrup and lime juice. For kiddos, there are smaller versions of their delicious pasta dishes.

Customers will also find a selection of Italian specialty goods from the couple’s specialty foods company, Vigne Vecchie, along with imported foods and fine chocolates straight from Italy. When asked how they choose what items to bring into the shop corner, De Giori says she thinks of things that “Italians can’t live without.”

Overall, Melissa wants VV The Italian Experience to be a gathering place for all. Whether meeting up with friends and family or going out on a date, she wants it to be known as a classy and friendly spot for people to gather, which is a big reason why they chose to open in Mt. Lookout. “There is an energy around the square,” said Melissa. “It’s very positive and strong.” While she plans to offer themed classes and events in the future, the couple are taking it one day at a time and enjoying sharing their authentic Italian culture with the community.

VV The Italian Experience, 1026 Delta Ave., Mt. Lookout. Info: vvitalian.com.