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| - I'm pretty new to the Carefree dining scene, but I enjoyed my recent visit to Cibo e Vino for a delicious dinner. All the pasta in the family-friendly Italian restaurant is made in house, which made me more happily gobble up each bite of my homemade meal.
My pal and I started with a fruity red sangria, which was sweet and refreshing enough for even non-wine lovers to enjoy. We began with my favorite part of the meal, baked brie, which came topped with homemade strawberry marmalade and pecans and was served with crostini ($12). This would have made a fantastic dessert, and the marmalade was a tasty touch to the bite of the cheese. It was the perfect size for two, and I would have happily eaten a second portion for my meal.
My pal got the Black Mountain Shrimp, sautéed in butter and served with portobello mushrooms, sundried tomatoes and garlic bread ($13). She said the appetizer was flavorful and the shrimp were fresh, making it a great choice for shrimp lovers.
For dinner, my pal had the pistachio crusted sea bass ($22), which came with a white wine beurre blanc, garlic mashed potato and sautéed spinach. She said the fish was cooked perfectly, and again, the portion was generous, but her only suggestion for improvement was to make the pistachio flavor more evident. While the nut did coat the fish, she was inspired to order it because the flavor combination seemed so interesting, but it wasn't as evident as she would have preferred.
I had a vegetable ravioli featuring an alfredo sauce, with mushrooms, spinach and pine nuts ($14). The dish had a ton of sauce to scoop up, and the generosity of the veggies made for a very filling meal. I loved the sauce - it was a thick, creamy consistency, and the pasta was cooked perfectly. Both our meals came with salads - my pal got a Caesar salad, while I got a house salad that was topped with sliced onion and tomato, olives and cheese.
The salads were a nice addition to the meal, though I'd definitely recommend starting with the baked brie, for sure. The menu includes a huge variety of meat and pasta dishes, plus pizzas. Recipes come from chef/owner John Collura's Italian grandmother.
The restaurant recently reopened this spring after a remodel that doubled its size from 2,200 to 4,500 square feet. It includes an expansive patio that has classic Frank Sinatra-style tunes playing, while the inside features several sports televisions at the bar, which is adjacent to the main dining room. There were big groups at the restaurant the night we went, and the atmosphere is relaxed.
Everyone who served us, from our host to our bartender to our server, definitely strove to provide great service, checking on how our food and drinks were throughout the night and making great recommendations on what to order. If you want to support a locally owned restaurant next time you're in the north Scottsdale area, I'd recommend it.
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