A Wine Lover's Dream
With a name that means "wine bar dream" in Italian and a heritage stemming from Italian favorites Edo's Squid and Mamma'Zu, I couldn't wait to try Enoteca Sogno . Located in the 2000 block of West Broad Street, this new little gem would be easy to miss if you weren't looking for it.
With the Wine Bar concept relatively new to Richmond, Enoteca Sogno owner Gary York , a former waiter and wine connoisseur at Edo's Squid and Mamma'Zu, has married the hunger for authentic Italian cuisine at a reasonable price and the uprising interest and fascination with wine - a brilliant way to bring Richmond into this metropolitan trend.
Unassuming and unpretentious York travels to Italy for Enoteca's selections. Bottles range from the reasonably priced ($18) to the top of the line ($190). Grape novices have nothing to fear. York and his staff can help direct your choices and inform you of the subtle nuances of each wine from characteristics of the grape to undertones to regional differences.
Our waitress guided us fabulously toward the 2003 Vietti Nebbiolo Perbacco ($35), a velvety red with earthy undertones and not a hint of vinegar. We must have said 20 times how delicious the wine was. By the way, you can also purchase bottles to take home.
The menu did have shades of York's previous work homes, along with some Spanish- and French-infused additions. Loving the fact that I could spend as little or as much as I wanted and still have a fabulous meal, I was eager to begin.
In addition to the normal menu featuring starters ($5-12), side salads ($5-$6), mains ($7-$21) and desserts ($4-$6), there were daily specials (both starters and main) featuring fresh seasonal ingredients. All choices were straightforward, highlighting the beauty of simplicity.
We were impressed by the amount of starters (19), but then again, Enoteca Sogno is a wine bar and you could easily be satisfied with a starter or two and wine. Our companions chose the Spinach Tart ($6) and Artichoke Tart ($6) and we opted for the Fried Calamari ($8). Cut into four pieces and studded with kalamata olives, the delicate flavors of the spinach and artichoke tarts melted in the mouth without any adulterating fillers or an overpowering crust. Neither rubbery nor overdone, the fried calamari was a generous plate of lightly-breaded squid, served only with a colossal wedge of lemon.
Our mains came shortly thereafter. The Chicken Piccata ($12) was tender and juicy, dressed with the lemon, wine, butter and caper sauce, but it could have done with less butter. The Chicken Marsala ($12), on the other hand, was perfect. Again, the juicy chicken was lightly floured and dressed in the velvety sweet Marsala sauce. Both chicken dinners came with a side of either pasta with marinara or a side salad with balsamic dressing.
Ever the seafood lover, my husband chose the Mixed Seafood Pasta ($16). The bed of piping hot pasta was covered with clams, mussels, calamari, fish and large succulent shrimp in a light and spicy marinara. I chose the Whole Roasted Branzino ($21) from the specials menu. The delicate Mediterranean sea bass was stuffed with fresh sprigs of rosemary, thyme and lemons, simply enhancing the flavor of the fish. My only complaint was that it seemed to be swimming in a pool of olive oil - delicious, but not necessary.
Only three dessert options to choose from, we opted for the Tiramisu ($6) and the Cannoli ($4). The tiramisu was definitely the authentic recipe, with ladyfingers, espresso and mascarpone cheese, and then dusted with coco. But it was the runt of the pack - a tad dry and the last piece, so our waitress offered it to us on the house. There were no complaints about the cannoli. The perfect blend of ricotta cheese and chocolate chips surrounded by the hard cannoli crust, I wanted to lick the plate to not waste any of the creamy filling.
My only complaint with Enoteca Sogno is that it's not open for lunch. I can't wait to go back. The magic of the simple fresh ingredients, the extensive wine list and the unpretentious staff and ambiance are sure to make Gary York's creation a mainstay for Richmond. Enoteca Sogno
2043 W. Broad St.
(804) 355-VINO (8466)
Tuesday through Thursday 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Please sign in to respond | | Register