Ristorante di Mare: Starting to hit its stride
After a slow start, Ristorante di Mare seems to be starting to hit its stride just in time for the peak weeks of the season.
When we first visited this new South Beach restaurant six months ago, owners Jean and Edyta Zana were in the shaky early stages of relocating from Satellite Beach, where they had operated the Dove restaurant for more than two decades.
In Vero Beach, which has no shortage of good northern Italian restaurants, this newcomer – in the location previously occupied by Ti Amo Sempre, and before that by Monte’s -- seemed to fall into the “Coals to Newcastle” category.
But on a recent return to this restaurant, we found di Mare much improved – a restaurant not only worth a visit, but one that we suspect will be with us for years to come.
When you are seated in this attractive restaurant, you immediately are presented with a basket of tasty breadsticks. Then before appetizers are served, you are proffered a complementary bowl of pasta fagioli, the traditional peasant Italian pasta and bean soup. A nice start.
For appetizers on this occasion, I ordered the mozzarella and tomatoes ($10), my husband started with the clams casino ($9), and our companion began with the mixed green salad ($5, if ordered with a dinner).
The mozzarella and tomato appetizer prepared with olive oil and basil proved a good choice, and the clams casino – featuring small farm-raised Florida clams baked with pimento butter and bacon – was tasty. The green salad had a delicious creamy parmesan and peppercorn dressing.
Then came the strange intermezzo that we remarked on in last fall’s preview -- glasses of chilled limoncello, brought between appetizers and main course as a palate cleanser. We still think serving this after dinner digestive at mid-meal is a bit strange.
But some people, we were assured, like it – and you don’t have to drink it.
For main courses, I ordered the chicken Florentine ($20), my husband had the veal chop special ($34), and our companion ordered the linguine with broccoli and shrimp ($23).
The veal chop was very good, perfectly cooked and served with yummy four-cheese mashed potatoes The chicken breast, tender and juicy, was lightly battered and sautéed in a very tasty lemon butter and chardonnay sauce. The linguini in garlic oil, topped with plump, perfectly cooked juicy shrimp, was a bit bland, but a sprinkling of parmigiano-reggiano helped considerably.
For dessert, we split a spectacular tiramisu ($6), a less than spectacular bread pudding ($7) in a dulce de leche sauce, and had a good espresso.
The tiramisu illustrates how far this restaurant has come since fall. When we dined here in October, we observed that instead of being light and heavenly, the tiramisu was heavy and cloying. Now, the tiramisu is made by co-owner Jean Zana himself – and it may be the best in town.
Among other changes since we last visited, Zana also mentioned the crab cake Vesuvio, which we previously found disappointing. The approach has been totally changed, Zana said, and now includes more lump crab and less breading. We didn’t try it this time, but that sure sounds like a positive step.
We still think wine prices are a bit aggressive, and with a very modest bottle of wine, dinner for two is going to run $120 before tip. For those wanting to spend considerably less, an early dining menu consisting of soup or salad, a choice of five entrées, and Italian cheesecake for dessert is offered between 4 pm and 5:30 for $20.
Our sense on this visit is that the hard-working Jean and Edyta Zana have been making the mid-course corrections this restaurant needed, and that they are committed to making di Mare a successful part of the Vero Beach dining scene.
That is good news indeed, and if you have not been there for a few months, you might want to give it another look.
I welcome your comments, and encourage you to send feedback to me at tina@verobeach32963.com.
The reviewer is a beachside resident who dines anonymously at restaurants at the expense of Vero Beach 32963.
Hours
Daily, 4 pm to closing
Bar
Full bar
Address (MAP)
1517 South Ocean Drive, Vero Beach, FL, Telephone: (772) 234-2809
