The Vineyards, an Italian masterpiece

By Jerry Cronin Correspondent

NORFOLK

I recently enjoyed a pleasant evening at The Vineyards on Granby Street.

It is the southern incarnation of the owner's successful establishment in Newport News and a pleasant addition to the area.

Soft gold walls and muted lighting made the room intimate. We perched at one of the two high tables set in the windows and watched the street shift to its evening persona.

The menu challenged us, covering a broad spectrum of Italian dishes and making it hard to choose. We wished we could have sampled more of the offerings.

The cannoli di melanzane ($6.99) appetizer started the evening on a spectacular note. It was my favorite in a meal filled with strong contenders. Thin slices of fried eggplant encased fluffy pillows of ricotta cheese. Flavor-rich tomato sauce, baked over mozzarella and Parmesan finished off this well-executed offering.

The appetizer arrived with a basket of garlic bread knots, tempting us to make a meal of them and the eggplant. Luckily, willpower prevailed. We also liked that The Vineyards offered house wine by the carafe. It reminded me of the Italian restaurants I grew up with in New York.

We considered ordering the insalata caprese ($7.99) with roasted peppers, artichoke hearts, olives, tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. We backed off when we saw that the entrees came with a side salad. Unfortunately neither showed up at the table.

Seafood cannelloni gratinati ($17.99) provided our pasta course. Sheets of rolled pasta held a rich filling of ricotta, lobster, scallops and shrimp. Baked with mozzarella and finished with crabmeat vodka sauce, the dish was tasty and subtle.

I thoroughly enjoyed the scallopine tutto funghi ($17.99). A medley of portobello, shiitake and wild mushrooms provided earthy notes to thinly sliced and tender veal. Marsala truffle sauce, with a generous sprink-ling of sun-dried tomatoes, nicely tied everything together. A few florets of broccoli provided a bit of green to the plate.

I had heard that the house-made tiramisu is one of their most popular dishes. Alas, they had sold their last one. Instead we ordered the cannoli ($3.50). The deep-fried shell was filled with sweetened, vanilla-infused ricotta and bits of chocolate. The menu also described pistachio, marsala and rosewater. I picked up a hint of pistachio, but the others seemed absent. However, I still liked the dessert.

Our personable server was slow, but started scrambling as the restaurant filled up. Luckily, the food made up for the slight inconveniences.

Jerry Cronin, flavor@pilotonline.com