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| - I've been to Venti twice and left in a euphoric food glow both times. Their inspired wine selection may have had something to do with that glow as well, but really the food is solidly fantastic here.
The first time, I was in a big group and we sampled their cured meats platter, asparagus and egg appetizer, burratino and broccolini salad (with a delightfully salty dollop of anchovy paste on top), as well as several of their pastas.
The wheat spaghetti with lemon-butter sauce and mussels, as well as the tagliatelle with mushrooms are memorable.
So memorable in fact, that the lingering smoky flavor of the shiitakes brought me back the other night.
We shared the octopus salad to start: firm and meaty, not rubbery and chewy as many of these tend to be. And the salty capers blended well with the lemony undertones of the sauce.
I got the potato gnocchi with (what else?) mushrooms in a cream sauce with peas, and my date got the ricotta gnocchi with fresh tomato sauce and basil. I know they both sound like pretty simple, "been-there-done-that" dishes, but as far as ingredients and technique, the dishes were all all they could be.
Dessert was the only part that didn't blow me away the second time around. We ordered the torta mascarpone, and it was a bit on the dry side.
The first time I went though, we had the semifredo with Nutella ice cream and that was delicious in every way.
Lastly, service and atmosphere are casual and pleasant, and on weekend nights it tends to get loud. Great place for a large group!
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