Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Wine down
By Jigs Arquiza
WHO says Lapu-lapu doesn’t have anything to offer Cebu’s sophisticated diners? Take a leisurely drive across the Marcelo B. Fernan Bridge down to Lapu-lapu City and you’ll discover a gem of an eating-place right in between the bridge’s off ramp and the turnoff to the airport.
Exuding an ambience as urbane and classy as any restaurant that you find in Metro Cebu, Metro Manila even, Vine City provides customers with a welcome change to the congested, often overrated establishments found in the big cities. More fondly referred to as Vino, Vino by its regular clientele, this wine bar-cum-restaurant offers an alternative venue for Cebu City’s discriminating eaters. At the same time, it also gives Lapu-lapu and Mactan residents too tired to make the long commute to Cebu City a great place to hang out in. Tourists staying at the nearby hotels and resorts looking for some nightlife will probably find Vino, Vino’s location more preferable, allowing them to have a great meal, a great night out, or both, without having to stray too far from their accommodations.
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Interiors are a mixture of sleek walls with recessed shelves, climate-controlled, glass-fronted wine cabinets, open wine racks and most importantly, tables with comfortable seating all around. A couple of booths are available for groups, while a private dining room is available for diners looking for a more intimate setting. Scale-model cars displayed on the shelves and among the wine bottles add a nice touch to the surroundings. Of course, a restaurant isn’t all about interior design, it’s about food, and Vino, Vino demonstrates this with an impressive menu composed mostly of Italian dishes.
A complimentary dish of focaccia topped with basil, tomatoes, peanuts, Parmesan cheese and olive oil is served to customers, perfect for munching on while meals are being prepared. An order of salmon carpaccio, thinly-sliced salmon with lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and capers doused with lemon is suggested either as a starter, or as a complement to the focaccia.
Various pasta dishes are served at Vino, Vino, including the ever-popular spaghetti, though customers can get something much more than the regular Bolognese, Alfredo or Carbonara varieties. Most recommended is their Spaghetti funghi porcini, tender spaghetti noodles with mushrooms, a must-try for any first-timer at Vino, Vino. For seafood lovers, the spaghetti gamberoni, noodles with prawns, or the penne marinara special, penne pasta with prawns, squid and clams, are definite winners. Pizza is also available, and while the usual kind is available, diners are encouraged to try out the Pizza Vino, a thin crust pizza complete with bell peppers, ham, salami, mushrooms, mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce.
Meat lovers should not despair, as the menu does feature meat dishes. Vino, Vino’s scallopina limone, pork tenderloin in lemon-butter sauce, as well as the osso buco, stewed beef shank in tomato and white sauce are both bestsellers, although their pepper steak might have customers asking for more. To top off a great meal, most regulars prescribe for dessert the tortino ciocolato with ice cream.
As delicious as their food is, Vino, Vino refrains from making any claims, preferring to let the customer be the judge. For a fairly new restaurant, just over a year old, people may say it’s too early to tell if Vino, Vino will become an institution in Lapu-lapu City. But for others, especially the regular customers, the verdict is already in: Vino, Vino is slowly but surely giving a new face to Lapu-lapu City’s dining experience.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (March 28, 2007 issue)
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