SALVINO, one of our area’s most

EAT IT! Chow down with John Batchelor at Salvino

BY JOHN BATCHELOR

Salvino, one of our area’s most perennially popular Italian restaurants, changed ownership last fall. Mary and Tom Speaker took over in October, but former owners Debbie and Sal Bruno worked with them on the fl oor and in the kitchen through November and mid-December to ensure a seamless transition. Mary manages the front of the house; her professional background is marketing and customer service. Tom oversees the kitchen. He trained at New England Culinary Institute. They were regular customers at Salvino, and he was working for one of Salvino’s vendors, when they began exploring buying the restaurant. They have been in the restaurant business one way or another for about 35 years.

The bar, well separated from the dining areas, has had a devoted following in the past. I hope to rejoin the crowd someday. Stippled walls in mustard and wine lend color over a cream chair rail above a wine base. Acoustic tile ceilings and carpet yield an ambience that allows conversation in a normal tone of voice.

The wine list is well chosen for quality and value. You simply can’t make a bad choice or pay an unreasonable price here.

Warm, crusty ciabatta bread (the dough is made in Chicago; it is baked in house) arrives promptly; quality olive oil blended with herbs is provided on the side.

Entrees come with a choice of soup (house or Caesar) or salad, adding extra value to already reasonable prices. The House Salad places a bright red tomato wedge and red onion slices in mixed leaf lettuces. All dressings are made in house. Pasta and Fagioli Soup hosts cannellini (Italian white beans) in homemade

SCALLOPS AL SOAVE TAGLIATELLE ALIA BOLOGNESE

chicken broth with onions, plus a little bacon and a dab of marinara, along with clips of pasta- hearty and robust, especially welcome as the weather cools.

Such inclusion might cause some people to eschew a separate fi rst course. That would be a mistake. Gnocchi al Gorgonzola- potato dumplings bathed in gorgonzola cheese sauce- does not simply taste good; it is going face down on the table and licking the plate good. Calamari Fritti is lightly battered and fried crisp, yet tender, enhanced with a pronounced marinara, prepared in house with Italian tomatoes, fresh basil and oregano, plus garlic and chopped cherry peppers. Pastas are economical and rewarding. Mushroom Ravioli, lush in fl avor, are blessed with a porcini demi-glace seasoned with fresh sage. Tagliatelle Alia Bolognese blends ground beef with a sauce of tomatoes, onions, and celery, with a little cream, folded into wide pasta strips. Lasagne, an o -menu special one night, turned out to be a family style rendition, with salty-sweetish tomato sauce incorporated between layers of sheet

LINGUINE PESCATORE MUSHROOM RAVIOLI

pasta, interspersed with melted cheeses. Penne alla Mediterranean joins grilled chicken breast with sun dried tomatoes, fresh mushrooms and spinach, plus feta cheese, in a creamy sauce. Hard to pick a favorite, but if forced, I would gravitate toward the latter.

I am especially drawn to seafoods here. In Scallops al Soave, four large, tender sea scallops are coated with a light milk-fl our batter and sautéed in olive oil, fi nished with butter, and augmented with lemon and white wine. A side of spinach and spaghetti, twirled together, lends color as well as fl avor.

Linguine Pescatore arrays shrimp, clams, mussels, and sliced scallops, all at the appropriate texture, in a light clam sauce with white wine, garlic, and a little marinara.

In Halibut Mediterranean, most of the fl avor emerges from the wild-caught fi sh itself, followed by a touch of onion in light white wine and tomato broth, plus black olives and a few capers.

Fowl dishes are not foul. Petto di Pollo Luigi is a breast sautéed with sage, shal-

HALIBUT MEDITERRANEAN LASAGNE

lots, mushrooms, and artichoke hearts, in lemon, butter, and white wine. The sharpish fl avor of the artichokes sets o the chicken really well. Pollo Piccata presents a tender chicken breast, sautéed in butter with capers, graced by lemon and white wine. All butter-lemon-white wine blends are well balanced.

Vitello Saltimbocca- thin-sliced veal- is sautéed with fresh sage, joined by prosciutto and mozzarella cheese in white wine veal demi-glace, arrayed over soft-cooked spinach. The prosciutto adds a salty-bacony layer of fl avor to the veal and demi-glace.

Refl ecting on these visits, I concluded that Salvino has not missed a step in its transition. It has long been a personal favorite. It remains so.

I would add particular commendation for takeout arrangements. They will take credit card information over the phone. Park in a dedicated space in front of the door, and a server will place your order directly into the car, in a completely nocontact arrangement. ! JOHN BATCHELOR has been writing about eating and drinking since 1981. Over a thousand of his articles have been published. He is also author of two travel/cookbooks: Chefs of the Coast: Restaurants and Recipes from the North Carolina Coast, and Chefs of the Mountains: Restaurants and Recipes from Western North Carolina. Contact him at john.e.batchelor@gmail.com or see his blog, johnbatchelordiningandtravel.blogspot.com.

WANNA go?

Salvino, located at 2917-D Battleground Ave. in Greensboro,(336)540-8663, salvinorestaurant.com Hours: 5-9 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday dine in; curbside pickup orders can be called in starting at 3 p.m. | Appetizers: $10-$14 | Soups: $5 | Entrees: $18-$39, including salad or soup | Desserts: $7