2807 Ocean Park Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 450-4999
http://www.vitorestaurant.com
We went up to Santa Monica to have dinner with Dr. P's friend Arthur last weekend. Santa Monica is far, I mean farrrrrr, from Orange County. It was 50+ miles from our house to the restaurant! Dinner was at Arthur's favorite restaurant, Vito.
We got there a little earlier, and sat at the bar to have a drink while waiting for Arthur. There were quite a few silver haired customers sitting at the bar for early dinner.
Gin Martini ($10.95)
Dr. P had a Gin Martini. I had a sip, and it was STRONG!
House Chardonnay ($10.95)
I had a house Chardonnay. The pour was big. I enjoyed the crisp white wine.
Dr. P bought Arthur a martini when he arrived. The total bar bill after tax and tip was about $40. Pricey.... After we paid the bar bill, we moved to the dining room for dinner.
Bread
The meal started with those addicting crispy cheese bread. I just couldn't stop eating it. There were also warm ciabatta bread in the basket.
Mozzarella Marinara ($11.95)
Whole Milk Cheese, Deep Fried, Topped with a Marinara Sauce
For appetizer, we ordered Mozzarella Marinara. How can you not love fried gooey cheese? Each order comes with 2 pieces. Since there were 3 of us, we ordered 1 1/2 order. The amount on the bill showed $19.95. If one order is $11.95, how did 1 1/2 order come to $19.95? Hmmmm....
Caesar Salad For Two ($18.95)
Our traditional Caesar salad tossed tableside
Almost every table ordered Caesar Salad for Two. The waiter brought a cart next to our table. He made the dressing and tossed the salad in front of us. I saw him adding anchovy paste into the dressing. Maybe that was the secret ingredient that made this Caesar Salad so delicious.
Linguine Con Vongole ($19.50)
The Favorite! Fresh Eastern Clams, Olive Oil and Garlic in a Red Sauce
Arthur ordered Linguine Con Vongole, which was the clams linguine. He requested it to be cooked with red sauce. Looked good!
Linguine Con Vongole ($19.50)
The Favorite! Fresh Eastern Clams, Olive Oil and Garlic in a Clam Sauce
Dr. P ordered the same clams linguine, but with the traditional garlic and white wine sauce. I had a few bites, and it was very good. They sure gave you a lot of clams here.
Spaghetti Della Casa ($19.95)
Vito's Favorite. Chopped Shrimp Sautéed with Shallots, Flamed with Cognac with a Touch of Cream and Tomato Sauce. This is Positively Scrumptious. A Hit!
Spaghetti Della Casa is my favorite pasta dish from Vito. Love the cognac tomato cream sauce! The chopped shrimp tasted so yummy. I couldn't finish it, and Dr. P and I shared the leftover the next day. It tasted just as good as the day before.
Creme Brulee Cheesecake ($9.50)
The waiter pushed their dessert cart next to our table. There were so many choices. But Arthur and I both picked Creme Brulee Cheesecake. Their cheesecake was really creamy and moist. It was softer than most cheesecake. It was good, but very rich.
We love the food at Vito. But honestly, this restaurant is expensive! If you are a regular customer here like Arthur (he said he's been coming to Vito for 20+ years!), they give you a Vito card, which entitled 30% off total bill, which makes the price to be more reasonable. Dr. P got one just by asking them for it. The place gets very very busy. I would say 80% of the customers here are 40+ years old. The restaurant is dark, elegant, old-school, and romantic in a way. If you would like to try this restaurant, try asking for a Vito card, you might just get lucky and get one.
After dinner, we went back to Arthur's apartment to visit his dog Benny. Isn't he adorable?
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Linguine Con Vongole looks so yummy. That the kind of pasta I've been craving for.
ReplyDeleteYou can make it at http://www.eileenlikestoeat.com.... and invite me over. haha....
I like this restaurant a lot. However, it is too pricey for a poor student. Without any discount, I'll probably come back when I'm 40+ years old....hahaha
ReplyDeleteI know! It's just too expensive. We'll go after we're 40. haha...
loved the linguini w/ clams and EAT's spaghetti della casa. The spaghetti was just as good the second day (we had leftovers), yum! This is a classy restaurant and I always feel that I need to wear a suit jacket when I go there. The wait staff are in tuxedos so it's proper to do so. If anyone plans on going, sit at the bar, grab a Martini before dinner and take a step back into an old world restaurant establishment. My favorite place by far in Santa Monica.
ReplyDeleteI did noticed the waiters are all wearing tuxedos.
But I also noticed that they (and the bartender) don't smile much?
Food is good, just too expensive without the discount.
Also I was looking through the picture of the bill.
How did we get charge $28 for a glass of house red wine and bottle of water?
I love anchovy paste in Caesar salad! I know people who get grossed out when they see anchovies and ask for their salads without it, but they're totally missing out.
ReplyDeleteI love anchovy! I like to add anchovy to olive oil when I cook pasta.
The anchovy just melts. Can't really taste the anchovy fishy taste in the pasta, but it just make the dish tastier.