| Beneath THE VINES AN ITALIAN WITH A SENSE OF ADVENTURE. EATING OUT CORRESPONDENT WESTSIDER GIVES WALKLEY A WHIRL VITO is a restaurateur who is every publisher's nightmare - business is so good he has little need to advertise. He has customers knocking on the door, regardless of glossy ads and write-ups. He arrived in Sheffield 20 years ago and for the last ten has run his own restaurant on South Road, Walkley. When he first arrived here he was employed as the token Italian in Iranian-run pizza and pasta restaurant but there is nothing 'token' about his own establishment. From the outside it looks exactly what it is - pleasant and unpretentious; inside diners eat in a comfortable room with vines overhead, Italian memorabilia on the walls and brightly-coloured napkins on the tables. And if you are waiting for friends or fancy a drink beforehand there is a small bar. Midweek or weekends, the place is usually buzzing; 85 per cent of his customers are regulars, returning week after week from as far away as Barnsley and Wakefield. The rest are like us - people who are told about Vito's by friends and colleagues and decide to give it a whirl - and what a whirl it is. First off the menu is massive - and interesting. The art of keeping the customers happy is giving them what they want and adding a little bit extra, so) every so often Vito sits down with his young sister Lucia, who has been trained the Vito way, and together they go) through the menu making little changes here and there. "We like to be a little adventurous," he said. They've added whiskey, rum, vodka amid brandy, herbs and spices, Gorgonzola and stilton in unexpected places for the brave palate, alongside the more traditional pasta and pizzas for those who know what they like and stick to it. The starters are like a meal in themselves - we chose Tricolore, mozzarella salad, with avocado and olive oil dressing; and Insalata di Tonno e Fagioli, which is tuna and cannellini bean salad to you and me. Both were fresh and tasty. To follow, we had Pollo Toscano - rolled chicken breast, filled with white wine, |
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cheese, mushrooms and spinach, wrapped in smoky bacon; and Fegato di Vitello
Consalvia - in other words, liver with
sage, red wine and demi glass. The chicken was every bit as wonderful as it sounds, piping hot, with an interesting taste in every mouthful. The liver was delicately cooked, in a delicious rich sauce. Although the sweet list was extensive, we were too full to do it justice and shared a home-made tiramisu - certainly big enough for two. Our meal, which included a glass of very pleasant house white, came to a touch over £40. When we arrived, on a quiet Tuesday evening, we were one (of just two couples. By the time we left the place was three quarters full and Vito was clearly well acquainted with at least half the room. |
One group, Carol and her party, have the
restaurant marked up on their calendar every week - and have done so for
the past five years. She, unasked, came over and sang Vito's praises.
But it was all right - we were all eating off the same song sheet.
Vito's is usually open 6.30pm to 11.30pm Tuesday to Sunday but for a real treat book for his special Mothers Day lunch on March 10, when the restaurant will he open from 12 noon until 4pm. That Italian charm will add more flavour to the meal - and make your mum smile. Vito's Italian Restaurant 284 South Road, Walkley,Sheffield, S6 3TE United Kingdom Telephone (0114) 2333574 |
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