Neo Viccino is the old Viccino Bistro's solution to the problem most of the restaurants in the Mount Vernon cultural district face: How do you fill the tables when the theaters and concert halls are dark?
In spite of its funky location and bistro label, Viccino's was basically a fine-dining, traditionally Italian restaurant when it opened a decade ago. The chef was Christopher Cherry, who had worked at Tabrizi's and the Polo Grill. The food changed somewhat over the years, but it was still a bistro in name only.
Now, after substantial renovations, Neo Viccino has opened with a new, contemporary look; a new, casual menu; and a new label: Bar & Grille, which is no more an accurate description of the place than bistro was.
That sounds a little harsh, but I actually mean it as a compliment. The business of eating is still more important than the business of drinking. The new lounge furniture in front is separated from the bar in back by the clean-lined, minimalist dining area: pale wood tables, booths in black leather and seating for 65. The room is long and narrow, with a low ceiling; but shiny new hardwood floors, white walls and small photographs for art create the illusion that there is more space than there really is.
The food is geared now to neighborhood folks and University of Baltimore students, but it's still not bar and grill food. True, pastas, pizzas, salads and sandwiches dominate the menu. But there are entrees that work just fine for more serious meals, such as the duck breast with ginger plum sauce. Their prices are lower than they were because portions are smaller. Nothing on the new menu costs more than $20, which is pretty impressive when you consider that it includes lamb chops, sirloin steak and sushi grade tuna. And two side dishes come with each dinner.
Instead of bar food like wings and crab dip, the kitchen places a lump of crab the size of the Hope diamond and a slice of ripe avocado on each of three crostini, with an aioli made with lime and a jolt of chipotle pepper.
Little purses are another detour from bar food. Fashioned out of puff pastry, they are full of soft, smoky gouda, a little caramelized onion and sun-dried tomato. The kitchen edges them with a roasted red pepper sauce, which adds a sharp counterpoint.
The sun-dried tomatoes work in the beggars purses, but, with the fried green tomatoes, they are only a distraction from the main business at hand, which is to consume the firm green rounds with their crunchy coating with as much of the smooth aioli as possible.
