This fall, there seem to be more than the usual number of new chefs turning up at local restaurants.
Since a change of leadership in the kitchen often brings new approaches to familiar dishes, and in some cases a number of new menu items, it’s not easy to quickly judge whether change is likely to be a plus, or not-so-much, for a restaurant.
That’s the situation we found last week at Trattoria Dario, the attractively decorated Italian trattoria on South Beach which has been doing well since it was opened by Dario and Diana Bordoli a year ago.
On this visit, we were told by our waiter – and ultimately by Dario – that the restaurant has a new executive chef, Anthony Diamano, who had been aboard about two weeks.
On paper, we have never encountered a more impressive resume in Vero than that recited by Chef Anthony.
Diamano, we were told, did his apprenticeship at Maxim’s in Paris; spent a little time at Paul Bocuse’s three Michelin star restaurant in Lyon; was executive chef in the late 1980s at New York’s famed Russian Tea Room, where he met his wife, a pastry chef; ran the restaurant for several years at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach; and is a certified master chef with England’s World Master Chefs Society
In between, he managed to launch or serve as executive chef in a number of restaurants, ranging from Diamano’s at the Tarrimore House in Delray Beach, to the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, to a variety of ventures in Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. Whew! And now he and his wife are here with Dario in Vero.
So how about the food? On this visit, we decided to forego the excellent appetizers we have enjoyed on previous occasions –calamari fritti ($9), or a half-dozen oysters on the half shell ($12) – and started with salads.
I ordered the insalata di caprino (half portion for $7), which consisted of organic greens, roasted apples, panko crusted goat cheese, toasted almond slices, and red onions, drizzled with a raspberry vinaigrette. My husband opted for a small Caesar ($4). Both very nice.
Then for entrées, I chose the risotto mare e monti ($20), and my husband went for the catch of the day, a crabmeat encrusted grouper ($34).
The risotto was a creamy mix topped with shrimp, mussels and wild mushrooms – tasty, but nothing out of the ordinary. My husband’s grouper was a lovely piece of fish, perfectly cooked, topped with nice crab and perched atop an orangish mound described as mashed potatoes with goat cheese. The dish could have used a bit more seasoning all the way around.
While we had no room for dessert, we might have been tempted if Chef Anthony’s wife Lisa was present – since we are told she specializes in soufflés. She was not on hand, but we are assured that she will shortly be joining the team, and a Vero restaurant that regularly offered souffles in our view would have something special going for it.
Beyond being open on Sundays, another thing that sets Trattoria Dario apart from most Vero restaurants is it serves full dinners pretty much until 10 pm, and offers a bar menu – including flat bread pizza – until after midnight.
With cooler weather hopefully near, we favor the patio area on any night that the weather cooperates. But the interior of the trattoria – still featuring the red colors that dominated the short-lived Will’s 55 that previously occupied this site – also has a nice open feeling.
The Bordolis, who owned Mangrove Mattie’s in Fort Pierce for 15 years before it closed two years ago, are very hands-on owners. Dario spends most evenings table hopping, asking guests how they are doing, as does his wife when she’s present.
The Bordolis’ attentiveness to patrons – not seen everywhere – together with the promise of interesting new dishes from Chef Anthony seem likely to keep diners coming back.
I welcome your comments, and encourage you to send feedback to me at [email protected].
The reviewer dines anonymously at restaurants at the expense of Vero Beach 32963.
