Vespaio

Buzzing with diners -- and for good reason

By Dale Rice
American-Statesman Restaurant Critic
June 3, 2004

On this Saturday night, the block in front of the restaurant was parked solid, the bar was so full it looked like you'd have to apply olive oil to slide through for a drink and the wait for a table at 8:30 was 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

That's life most nights at Vespaio, which must be Austin's biggest restaurant success of the past decade.

Five and a half years after opening, the small South Austin bistro is stronger than ever, setting new volume records again this spring, according to chef-owner Alan Lazarus.

"We've been gangbusters around here," he said.

Vespaio
1610 S. Congress Ave.
(512) 441-6100
Hours: 5:30 to 10:30 Tuesday to Sunday
Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diners
Wheelchairs access: Yes
Wine: 40 by the glass ($6.50-$12), 100 by the bottle ($23-$265)
Rating:

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And to think that several of his friends advised him against heading south of the river with a fine-dining venue, contending no one would go to South Congress at night.

How wrong they were. Diners are flocking to Vespaio for outstanding Italian fare.

One step inside the front door, a deli case tempts patrons before their names are even on the waiting list.

On this recent visit (the night after the two-hour wait), we sampled deviled eggs ($2.50), crab claws ($4.50) and marinated mushrooms ($3.50). All were delightful, but the crab claws were the most tantalizing.

The salad ($8) of freshly made mozzarella and three slices of heirloom tomatoes was beautiful, with tomatoes that were a deep, brilliant red. They were served with a long triangle of bread rubbed with basil pesto and grilled in the wood-fired oven, where it picked up an appealing smoky taste.

The large plate of mussels ($12), every one of them open, was steamed in a tomato broth with herbs, garlic and capers. It remains one of the best mussel dishes in town.

In the Caesar salad ($6 for the small size), individual whole leaves from the heart of the Romaine lettuce were coated with a traditional dressing sharp with anchovy flavor and garnished with shredded cheese and croutons.

The risotto of the day ($24) featured pan-seared lamb loin, cut in tender, medium-rare slices, laid end-to-end on a bed of mascarpone risotto with fresh peas. The dish was accented with slices of snowcap mushrooms and a lamb reduction sauce. Lovely.

The ravioli ($18) featured three pasta envelopes with a ground veal filling that came with a strong truffle flavor. The pasta was presented in a sauce of tomato, butter and grappa (an Italian liqueur) that was encircled with basil oil, offering a contrast in colors and flavors. Ultimately, though, I found little harmony in the strong competing flavors of the dish.

For dessert, the basil panna cotta ($7) was served in a rhubarb soup with sliced strawberries. The basil-infused milk produced a lovely molded dessert that added a sophisticated side to the sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb.

The lemon olive oil cake ($7) was an individual round that was moist and heavily textured. It was accompanied by fresh blueberries and lemon gelato that had just a hint of citrus.

Service at Vespaio was attentive and knowledgeable, with a professional reserve that did not seem stuffy or pretentious.

The ambience on the Sunday night of this meal, with the restaurant only half-full (highly unusual), was pleasantly subdued. We were able to have a conversation without raising our voices, a rarity at this place.

The only real drawback to Vespaio remains its limited-reservations policy. Reservations can be made only for the opening hour on Sundays and Tuesdays to Thursdays. Unfortunately, this does not help those who want to dine later but are unwilling to stand around the bar for 90 or more minutes.

But, in the end, more than enough patrons are willing to do just that. For them, the buzz and the top-notch food are what dinner is all about.