An Eruption of Flavor

An Eruption of Flavor February 19, 2009 Sometimes, the best places to eat are hidden away.  That's what we discovered when we ate at Vesuvio Bistro.  There are no big flashy signs pointing the way.  In fact, if you didn't know where you were going, you might just miss it.  But tucked inside the Best Western Governor's Suites on Merrill Drive is a restaurant worth finding.   When we go to try out a restaurant, we don't like to make reservations.  Instead, we like to see what happens when we just show up.  So on a recent Friday evening we did just that.  But since we were attending the symphony afterwards, we got there early.  That was a smart move (or a lucky one) on our part.  They were completely booked, but because we arrived early enough, we were seated.  We started the evening off with prosecco, a delicious Italian sparkling wine, and perused the expansive menu.   What we decided on was just perfect for a meal before the symphony.  We started off with wild mushrooms over polenta and calamari.  Both starters were of substantial proportions - really enough for a meal in themselves.  The calamari was tender and perfect.  There wasn't a chewy bite on the plate.  And the wild mushrooms over polenta?  Absolutely mouthwatering.  Polenta is somewhat like Italian cornmeal grits.  But it is thicker and has more substance than your traditional southern grits.  Piled high over the polenta was a mixture of wild mushrooms in a delicious and light sauce.  The mushrooms were fresh.  We could taste the earthiness of them and were very pleased by this discovery.  We can't wait to try this dish again next time.   For dinner, we decided on one of the specials, even though the regular menu was hard to pass up.  Angolotti, a pasta similar to ravioli, stuffed with ricotta cheese and covered in a sinfully delicious pesto cream sauce.  It was truly a lick-the-plate-clean entree.  And we couldn't pass up dessert.  We had a cannoli and it was divine.  It brought back fond memories of our time spent in the North End of Boston.  The cannoli, a Sicilian pastry, was filled with a sweet ricotta cheese filling and dusted with powdered sugar.  It was a great ending to a great meal.   We highly recommend Vesuvio Bistro.  They're not open on Mondays, unfortunately, but whether you stop by for an early dinner with the family or a romantic retreat, you won't be disappointed with the selection or the quality.  Just be sure to make reservations - word is getting out.   Vesuvio Bistro 1501 Merrill Drive (inside BW Governor's Suites) (501) 225-0500