Vento la Trattoria and Wine Bar--Bay Village, OH [$$$]

This week was Shannon’s choice, and she chose Vento La Trattoria in the Cleveland suburb, Bay Village. After driving around in attempts to find a place to eat the day prior to our lunch, Shannon happened upon this place by happy accident.  Set back from the road across from Huntington Beach, Vento is perched upon the Metro Parks and adjacent to Bay Arts Holiday Shop.

We arrived just after 12:30 and didn’t leave until after 5.  To emphasize, we were here from mid-light until they had to light the candles for the dinner crowd.  We were promptly seated by our awesome waiter, Tino, who thoughtfully sat us at the “coolest table” (his own words.)  He brought us food and wine menus, which were hard to concentrate on due to the intoxicating smells and beautiful holiday décor (you will see….).

Tino later told us the building was an old train station built during the Civil war in 1861.  The wood is all original and was moved from Dover Center road.  Behind the restaurant is a red caboose, a gift from the Bay Arts society.

We soon concentrated on the wine menus and food menus, respectively.
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Grace:

I have always been a sucker for a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, but today I chose the Malbec with enticing plum and pomegranate flavors to accompany my dish.  Since Shannon had told me 24 hours before where she wanted to go, I had looked up the Vento menu at my job. I was definitely leaning toward the wild mushroom pizza, but my second choice was the truffle sacchetti pasta. Going with my original instincts, I ordered the mushroom pizza and oh…my…Lord, was it good.

There were four medium sized pieces, of which I ate three. The pizza comprised of wild mushrooms, provolone, mozzarella, garlic and truffle oil. Being in the holiday spirit this week, I decided to splurge on something for myself…which was a $15 pizza. The pizza went really well with the Malbec. The wheat dough was from Breadsmith in Lakewood, and the complimentary bread that came to our table was also from there. It was all so fantastic! From Tino’s amazing service, to the fabulous and rustic Italian décor, this place was phenomenal! I am so glad Shannon chose this place, because I’ve always wanted to go and had always heard great things about it. We even came back to blog here after we shopped around a little and had one more glass of wine. If I could sum up this lunch trip in one word, I would have to say “Fantastico!”

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Shannon:

Jumping for joy to arrive, Grace and I sauntered into Vento with little inclination of how gratified we would be at this establishment.  We decided last night we would also be ordering wine with lunch, since that seemed necessary being at a very wine-oriented Italian restaurant.  I perused the white wine list and landed on the Coda di Volpe, which was described to have hints of pineapple, white peach and licorice.  Tino told me it was a fantastic choice, so when he brought me my glass I was not surprised that it was indeed delightful.

Upon deciding my main dish, Tino told me he was also a vegetarian, and that the Truffle Sacchetti Pasta was “crazy.”  I swiftly decided upon this pasta.  In the meantime Tino brought complimentary breads and balsamic butter which was utterly fantastic in every way.  I unabashedly ate that entire basket, excluding the one piece Grace chose.

My pasta arrived with a heavenly aroma that I almost forgot to take a picture before digging in.  The Truffle Sacchetti Pasta consisted of wild mushrooms, roasted eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes, and truffle oil.  This was just as amazing as it sounds, if not better.  It was the perfect amount, because pasta always makes me so full.  I finished off the breads with sopping up the leftover truffle oil.  It was fantastic.

This place is my new favorite place.  Whenever I discover somewhere new, it mystifies me for the longest time.  I just know when I’m at work tomorrow I’m going to be thinking of the twinkling lights hanging in Vento.  I think I would live there if I could.  Please go there, if you like to be kind to both your eyes and your stomach.

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Festive archway!

Amazing chandelier

Bar area

More seating and decorations

Coda di Volpe (left) and Malbec (right)

Fresh bread with fabulous butter

Shannon's Truffle Sacchetti Pasta

Grace's Wild Mushroom Pizza

Outside Vento with Caboose

Caboose!

Patio and front door of Vento

Really awesome candles with natural wax spillage!

Candles again! (They need a ladder to light them!)

Same window--this shows how long we were there! :)

Bar area again (we even saw a shift change!...)

Shannon, Tino, and Grace!

Outside Vento (They have a lot of heaters if you want to sit outside/smoke!)

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Hopefully you will be visiting Vento soon, and we especially hope you go on a day that Tino works!  Although it is pricier than other places we have blogged about, we recommend it for date nights, friends nights, an after-work drink, what have you! Just go, go, go! We will absolutely be coming back—probably in the summer when we can sit outside and hear Lake Erie across the way.