It had been more than a year since we had visited the Italian Cousin, a neighborhood Italian restaurant that replaced chef Michele Hennessey’s widely acclaimed River Grille on U.S. 1 just south of the Sebastian business district.
Hennessey, a former Vero Top Chef, wanted to spend more time with her kids, and turned the space over to her chef husband Gus. With many Italian options in Vero, we simply don’t get up there too often. But we made a reservation for last Friday to see how the Italian Cousin was faring.
The tip-off came when we pulled into the parking lot at 7:45, and saw people with wine glasses in hand waiting outside the restaurant door. The Italian Cousin was slammed.
As it turned out, the wait for those with reservations (highly recommended) was only a matter of minutes, and soon we were seated in a packed dining room humming (well, actually roaring) with the sounds of people enjoying themselves.
The restaurant has a warm feel – an Italian vibe – and with Gus popping in and out of the kitchen, and Michele hugging and kissing regulars, the atmosphere makes you feel like part of a family.
Our very attentive waiter, Amy, quickly brought a basket of wonderful warm, crispy Italian bread and a dish of delicious dipping sauce with shaved parmesan cheese, and took our order for wine.
For appetizers, I decided to pass up the wonderful Prince Edward Island mussels served in a chardonnay-lemon-basil broth ($8.95) which I enjoyed on my last visit, and try the flash-fried petite calamari ($7.95). My husband opted for the stuffed clams with bacon, spinach, artichokes and cheese ($7.95).
The calamari, served with a slightly spicy pink sauce, were very good. The stuffed clams were even better.
Following the appetizers, my husband and I had salads – the Cousin salad tossed with gorgonzola vinaigrette for me, and the Caesar salad with anchovies for him – and our companion opted for a bowl of the Italian wedding soup.
Then, for entrées, my husband chose the eggplant and spinach parmesan ($16.95), our companion chose the linguini in a white clam sauce ($19.95), and I went with the evening’s specialty, a new vegetarian gnocchi dish ($18.95) created by chef Michele.
My husband was wildly enthusiastic about his entrée, saying the eggplant and spinach parm had all the deliciousness of eggplant parmesan – but was far lighter. Our companion was also very high on her linguini.
But the vegetarian gnocchi – hand-made dumplings in a lemon white wine sauce accompanied by roasted red peppers, onions, tomatoes, spinach and zucchini – was a triumph. Server Amy told me I could add mushrooms or artichokes to that, and I said, “Go for it.” The entire dish was then sprinkled with feta cheese.
Chef Michele feels strongly about creating tasty vegetarian dishes, and this one – a hearty stew – would have been savored by vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.
While we normally pass on desserts, on this visit we sampled an extremely light tiramisu. A great way to end a great dinner.
Prices are very reasonable, with many entrées priced from $13.95 to $19.95 (including soup or salad). Dinner for two with a couple of glasses of beer or wine should run in the $70 to $80 area before tax and tip.
This isn’t fancy Italian dining. It’s more your neighborhood Italian place – the kind of place many of us remember from up north.
But it is clearly the best neighborhood Italian place in North County, and if you haven’t checked it out yet, you are way overdue for a visit with your Italian Cousin.
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.
