Here’s another version of the eternal chicken and egg conundrum (cacciatore and stracciatella style).

Does Vero have so many good Italian restaurants because we love Italian food, or is our love of Italian cuisine the reason so many of our good restaurants feature Italian fare?

Whichever explanation you favor, Mimmo’s Scampi Grill – a very attractively decorated trattoria set in a nondescript building just across the street from the Patio in Vero’s old downtown -- is another very good option if you are looking for a good Italian dinner.

This restaurant has been around for a while, and its Neapolitan owner, Domenico “Mimmo” Amelio, has been preparing and serving dishes from regions throughout Italy for
more than three decades.

Dinners at the Scampi Grill get off to a very strong start, since the appetizers are good enough to make you think maybe you want to keep ordering them and proceed no further down the menu.

On our first visit, I ordered the steamed clams prepared with olive
oil, scallions and shallots with a splash of lemon juice. They were tiny sweet clams, tender and tasty – an excellent steamed clam appetizer.

My husband ordered the calamari salad ($9.95), calamari marinated in lime juice, served with extra virgin olive oil over organic mixed baby greens. The calamari were light and tender;
this too was a very successful dish.

Our companion ordered the soup of the day – a tasty egg-drop broth with spinach.

Following the appetizers, you automatically get Mimmo’s house salad as part of your dinner – fresh field green salads served with a choice of light dressings. Highly recommended.

For entrees on this occasion, we all tried variations of Mimmo’s name – the scampi. I ordered the shrimp al desiderio ($20.95) and my husband ordered the Shrimp and Scallops Imperial ($20.95). Our companion ordered the linguini with fresh garlic and olive
oil “Aioli” and shrimp ($22.95).

The three scampi dishes ranged from good to very good. The shrimp al desiderio, pan seared jumbo shrimp with scallions, shallots, olive oil, wild mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, Vidalia onions, and pine nuts finished in roasted garlic crème and served over linguine, was a very good dish. Our companion was similarly pleased with her linguini with grilled shrimp.

The Imperial consisted of pan seared jumbo shrimp and scallops sautéed with olive oil, fresh Italian herbs, and roasted garlic topped with lumps of crabmeat, fresh spinach, romano cheese, finished in a basil cream sauce served with angel hair pasta. The
shrimp again were excellent, though the scallops seemed a bit tired.

Oh well, the restaurant is not named the Pettine di Mare grill.

On our second visit, we all went for the steamed clam appetizer prior to our salads. It really is that good.

Then for entrées, this time two of us sampled the veal. I had the veal “picatta” ($19.95), veal sautéed with olive oil, mushrooms, capers and herbs, served in a citrus butter sauce over penne
pasta. This was a very good preparation, and the veal was tender.

My husband had the veal “cranchio” ($20.95), veal scaloppini sauteed with olive oil, herbs and roasted garlic, topped with lumps of fresh crabmeat and spinach, and served in a basil cream sauce over angel hair pasta. Again, good veal in a very tasty sauce.

Our companion on this visit ordered the linguini in a white clam
sauce – an excellent preparation using the same tender clams we enjoyed in the appetizer.

For dessert, on our first visit we had a good tiramisu. The second time, we discovered the limoncello gelato ($5.95) – a wonderfully refreshing alternative to heavier Italian desserts.

Dinner for two with a modest bottle of wine should come in under $100 before tip. On weekend nights, the restaurant tends to be a bit crowded. If you have a choice, a table along the wall will subject you to a little less hustle and bustle.

On the whole, we would rate this a very good Italian restaurant, and the ever-attentive Mimmo – bouncing between the kitchen and dining room -- will do his best to turn your evening into a most pleasant dining experience.

I welcome your comments, and encourage you to send feedback to me at tina@verobeach32963.com.

The reviewer dines anonymously at restaurants at the expense of Vero Beach 32963.

Hours: Nightly in season, 5 pm to 10 pm

Bar: Beer and wine

Address: 2054 11th Avenue, Vero Beach

Telephone: 772-563-9766

Review first published: March 5, 2009