Vino Restaurant

Dinner tonight at Vino, a tiny (24 seat) Italian restaurant in Lafayette, on Plaza Way near the old theater.  I’ve seen it there, and heard about it, and now we’ve finally tried it. I think we have a new favorite place for a delicious, healthy, moderately priced meal. :Here’s the fun part–the new kid is 78 years old. Vino is owned by Castro Ascarrunz, a half-Italian, half-Basque maestro of the kitchen who has owned 16 different restaurants in 54 years since he moved to Lafayette.  He owns the joint, he waits the tables, he sings, I think he plays the piano that’s taking up the space of another 4 seats. Quirky is an understatement for this tiny festival of food.  Here is the list of daily specials: Tonight’s specials. Castro is proud of how healthy his food is–no added fat, butter or commercial sauces.  There is no sugar in the place.  He sells wine, but no sodas or juices.  He had to brew me a glass of iced tea, there is none already made.  Good thing we keep some sweetener in Gail’s purse. Our dinner started with the olives, dolma, white bean salad and pickled veggies Castro brought out before we even ordered, along with the warm fresh bread and a dish of olive oil.  Castro is the only waiter, and at 78 he keeps moving smoothly and economically. We shared the bruschetta, which was excellent, then I ordered the piquillo peppers, two sweet peppers filled with a mix of goat cheese, potatoes and white beans. Gail chose the roasted snapper from the specials, and was completely delighted with the excellent preparation and presentation.  The accompanying vegetables were so good we even finished up the string beans; she deemed the mashed spuds excellent. I had the simplest of all dishes–pasta with olive oil and garlic.  Getting this dish right is harder than it seems, since the balance must be perfect.  Fortunately, this dish was right on the money, and I was a happy camper. Vino is only open 4 days a week, Wednesday thru Saturday, 5 to 8:30. The weekend nights are busy an

The owner is a little bossy but I think that's part of the charm of this place. I thought the food was average (I am hard to please when it comes to Italian food) but my friends loved it!

My son and I stopped by and it was a very pleasant surprise. Not a big place and the owner is very hands on operations. He is a fascinating man that makes you feel welcome with an old world vibe. Food is fresh and very good. My son had the chicken parmigiana and it was delicious. I had spicy meatballs and pasta. It was good but didnt taste the spice. Next time I go with the wife. She would love it.

Hello Lovers! If you haven't been to Vino's, you are really missing out on a one of a kind experience! The food is fantastic, the prices are reasonable, and the owner is a wonderful human being! If you are lucky, he may even play the piano while you dine!

If you want meet a very Italian man and experience real Italian cooking look no further than this place. I lived in Italy for a couple years and this is the place I have found in the Bay area so far that hits closest to home. The atmosphere and the host is probably the best part.