Good food w/ interesting combination of ingredients. Good selection of beer & wines and good hard working staff. Some fun beer & wine events too. Beer & donut pairing tasting is really good, I wish they would do it more often. One of the very few full service restaurants in downtown Mesa.
Review Source:As I've said in past reviews, I don't write many reviews but there are times when I feel that I should and this review is a little late in coming. Â My husband and I really love this place. Â In Mesa this really is our Cheers. The owners Cameron and Cindy are about as welcoming as you can get. Â Owning a restaurant can't possibly be an easy thing to do, but they sure do it with a smile. Â
So last week we decided on a Tuesday night that we'd go to dinner at iLv, because he hadn't been in a while, I asked what the specials were on FB and we were pretty set on what we were going to have for dinner that night. Not to mention that I was totally craving their classic bruscetta it simply is the best I've ever had. Â I could eat that as a meal all on its own. Â My husband had the trout special and really enjoyed it, I had a bite and was pleased that it didn't have that fishy taste that trout can sometimes have. Â I can't really speak for him on his experience but I sure can speak for mine. Â I had the beer battered fish and chips, and all I can say is OMG. Â I have had good fish and chips very rarely here in the United States, and I'm very selective about it, Â because I got spoiled when I visited the UK. Â If you've never had fish and chips in England you must put this on your bucket list. But back to this particular fish and chips. Â I would pit this up against anything I had in the UK, it was just THAT good. The batter was light and airy and not dripping with grease. Â My 5 stars is for that fish alone, if I could add more stars just because of service I would. Â
Good wine, good food, and good company. How can you go wrong?
Oh yeah, don't leave without having the gellato.
My cousin & I stumbled upon this mesa gem while waiting for the children's museum to open on a Sunday. We had 4 children with two adults. At first glance we were hesitant, however once inside amazed at what we found. A truly vacation worthy atmosphere extremely friendly staff & delicious breakfast!!! Perfect Sunday brunch spot!!!! Kids or not.
Review Source:It is right on the corner of Main and Country Club, and one might not see much on the outside, but really you should check it out. It is really pretty inside. The food is amazing, and they have quite the menu. Offering tapas, gluten free options, happy hour, and serving brunch on the weekends. Plus they have bottomless champagne (mimosas) for $8! Amazing!!!
The one thing I notice is it is a large space, with not that many people in it. Hopefully more people will check it out because it is a very cool wine bar that is good for groups. Most wine bars are small so getting a group of friends all together can be tough. Not here! You're good to go.
I love going to this place because of Cam & Cindy. Â They are welcoming and friendly people. Â Cameron will always taste you something new (wine or beer) if you are undecided. I visited last week the food was excellent!!
Good~ Bar is where you want to sit and interact with Cam or Cindy. Â all the regulars are like family.
Not so good~ the place is huge so even if it was half full it looks like there is nobody there. Â It is a put off for some people.
Go for that comfort wine bar where everybody knows your name!!
The owners and staff at Il Vinaio are simply great. Â Yesterday, they helped Ginnie & I host a 65th birthday party for about 40 people. Â The ambiance was superb, the wine was wonderful, and the staff was exceptional. Â We highly recommend Il Vanaio for a week-end brunch or dinner any time.
Review Source:Went with my husband and another couple to a beer and donut pairing event here and had a truly enjoyable experience. Â I mean how many places do donut and beer pairings?! Â It was quite yummy. Â They often have live music which is another bonus- but it's not so loud you can't enjoy conversation with the person next to you. Â I don't really understand the negative reviews regarding this place.
Review Source:Terrible, horrible, DO NOT GO!! Â The staff was rude and readily turned up their nose when 5 adults walked in with 3 children, we were told the only tables they ahd available were their high tops (clearly they were trying to deter us from dining there) when we stated we were fine with a high top it still took more than 5 minutes to get seated and the restaurant only had 2 other tables when we walked in. Â The apps were good, but it took more than 40 minutes for the main entrees to come out of the kitchen, during which time we had to ask more than 3 TIMES for our drinks to be refilled...the burger that was ordered medium might as well have mooed at us from the plate, the puntanesca was so salty it was inedible, the lemon chicken was so over cooked wand dry it was like road kill. Â When we complained we were told that our meals could be re cooked, but with 3 fussy children and already having to wait more than 40 minutes, we did not have time to wait and see if the dishes would be corrected or not. Â We were not offered to have anything removed from our bill, and not even a 'sorry' was given. Â We were also charged an 18% auto gratuity because 'technically' we were a party of 8...one child is still breast feeding, and the other two didn't even have childrens items ordered for them as they were eating off our plates...this place has terrible food, bad service, and staff that does not care!!
Review Source:Unimpressive and overpriced. Tried the lamb ragu and it was one of the blandest dishes I've ever eaten. I'm not exaggerating when I say that the dominant flavor was the noodles! We tried an appetizer that was okay but nothing special (some sort of spicy/sweet shrimp). The best part of the meal was the bread (Breadsmith), however we had to ask for it and it didn't arrive until we were almost done with the meal.
On the plus side, they had a good beer selection featuring some local breweries that you don't see all the time. I do like that they source most of their ingredients locally.
We wanted to try the 4 course meal for $75 as advertised on <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivingsocial.com&s=2456932cd5ebcc60ad30944e723e56ffdb2706564dcfac90fbf2e821a2c1c821" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://livingsocial.com</a>
I will comment on each course.
menu
Salad
Two Field Greens Salads
Toad Hollow Rose Pinot Noir
Salad was fine. A lot of green olives. Wine tasted like zinfandel and neither of us liked it. Rolls were good.
Appetizer
Portabella Oscar: Crab-Stuffed Mushroom with Asparagus and Hollandaise
Steelhead Pinot Noir
Very bland. 3/10. Hollandaise sauce was thin and uneventful. Now we are getting worried. Was not hot but served room temp. We had to force ourselves to eat this course. Disappointing. Wine was still just ok.
Entrée
6-Ounce Filet Mignon with Red Skin Mashed Potatoes, Haricots Verts, and Wild Mushroom Demi
OR
Lobster Scallop Napoleon with Bacon Risotto Cake, Asparagus, Sun Dried Tomato Butter, and Lemon Beurre Blanc
Cosentino "The Cab" Cabernet Sauvignon
We tried one of each. The Lobster dish was what made us try this 4-course meal. This was just bad. Risotto was harad and not fully cooked. The owner Cindi explained to us that it was intentionally "al dente". Why? Worst risotto ever. No flavoring. We exchanged it for another fillet which was good.
Dessert
Gelato Sampler Trio
Tombstone Belle Port
Gelato was ok. We liked the Port and the macaroons
Did not like the music that was playing--bad 80's music some of the time. classical would have been nice.
Summary: They tried and multiple courses was fun but we did not feel the food was of the caliber that it was worth $95 with tax and tip and we won't be back.
I'm surprised at some of the negative reviews. Â I've been to Il Vinaio several times for the weekend champagne brunch, lunch, & dinner. Â The food & service have always been excellent. Â I try to bring others with me regularly....they are equally impressed. Â Keep up the good work, Il Vinaio!
Review Source:3 stars it is not. It wasn't good, it wasn't bad. That's the point and too bad since their menu looks so good. It reminded us of when we went to a specific italian chain locaiton when they first opened up and everything was so bland. We asked what was up and they replied if you want it like all others in the chain you need to ask for full flavor. Even though this was in an area which had a lot of older clientele they should not have strayed from their standard prep. Could that be the problem here? This food could be really good if there was some/any actual flavor. Not being a chain you should strive to break the rules in a good way. The reception and wait staff helped to raise rating from a 1 to 2 stars.
Review Source:We had dinner here after a play at the Mesa Arts Center. Â Not the worst but definitely not the best place i've ever eaten. Â To be fair, I didn't try anything on the wine menu. Â The gluten free menu was the attraction and i suspect that has attracted a few others as well, especially on a Sunday afternoon when not much is open in Mesa. Â It's ok, but I wouldn't go back again.
Review Source:The translated "Il Vinaio" is an ancient Italian word meaning "polished turd". The pretentious menu, the "Denny's" environment. The dated and uninspiring wine list. Fake yelp reviews, rude replies to yelp reviews.  Reviews that have no other reviews or friends, are obviously  fake yelp profiles, sad . Clearly unprofessional "foodies" have no place in the restaurant industry, this place makes the Taco Bell next door  look bad. Keep polishing that turd, I heard the best way is to suck at both ends.
Review Source:Went on a Weds. night before a downtown show. Place is about 1/2 full. Took 30 minutes to receive glass of wine, 45 minutes to receive appetizer. After an hour of waiting finally received meal, which we had 5 minutes to gulp down before rushing out to catch show. Another couple that came in 5 minutes later, never received their meal. This way everytime we go (3rd time). I will not give them another chance. Owner said well, this place is bigger than it looks and we have a small kitchen. ??? Is this my problem?
Review Source:Doesn't even deserve 1 star. Â My husband and I went here last night to grab dinner before a concert at the Mesa Arts Center. Â We arrived at 6 and the show started at 7:30. Â The hostess asked if we were going to the show and we said yes. We were seated immediately...the place was not even half full. Â Waited a good amount of time before our server came to the table to take drink orders. Â Waited 20 minutes for 2 glasses of wine. Â Ordered our food which consisted of a salad, grilled flatbread and a burger with fries. Â The salad came after we had been there for about 45 minutes. Â Finally realized it was 7:00 and still didn't have our food. Â Asked our server about the delay and she seemed shocked. Â To top it off she had the nerve to say I brought you some bread, your salad and wine...WHAT!!! Â We told her never mind on the food we would just take our bill. Â By now it's 7:05. Â The manager comes to the table to tell us that our food is being plated right now so it's ready. Â At this point the show was starting in 20 minutes so we clearly didn't have time to eat it now. Â She was very unapologetic about the whole situation. Â She brought us our bill, and clearly couldn't be bothered to comp anything from it to try and rectify the situation. Â Then the server comes back again to tell us our food is done now and did we want to take it was us. Â Why yes, I would love to take my food and leave it in the car for the next 2.5 hours while we attend the concert. Â That sounds like a great plan...NOT. Â The couple that was seated right before us had also complained to their server and manager about the wait and I overheard their server mention that is was because there were so many people here tonight...keep in mind I mentioned the place was barely half full. Â That was their 3rd time coming to the restaurant and it was the same all 3 times. Â They were really trying to give the place a chance but said 3 strikes and you are out. Â Such a disappointment and unlike the other couple, we will not give them another chance. Â When you have people complaining you have to make it right and they did NOTHING!!! Do not waste your time going here unless you have tons of time to kill. Â Luckily the show at the theater was amazing so it didn't ruin my night since we had to go to the show on an empty stomach.
Review Source:A few months back I went to Il Vinaio on a whim for supper with a friend of mine. The restaurant was nearly empty, but our waiter was excellent, our food was served promptly and was delicious. I also ordered a glass of Sangria which was heavenly. I half-joked to the waiter that I wanted to buy a gallon of the stuff to take home with me for a get together I was having that night, and the waiter and staff were so accommodating. They sent me home with 5 freshly made bottles of sangria and a container of fresh sliced fruit garnish. It was a very good experience and I have been trying to get some of my friends to join me for a meal there ever since.
Well, last week I got together a group of 8 diners and we decided to go there for dinner. Two of the diners would be enjoying their last dinner there before returning home to England. I realized several hours before dinner that there would be an Oktoberfest Beer dinner that evening, and called to make sure that regular service would be offered. It was, and I reserved a table for 7pm. Three people were there right on time, and the rest of the party arrived a little bit late but staggered, no later than 7:20. I'm not sure if our waitress had never waited table before, or was just highly incompetent at her job, but the entire meal was a disaster from the beginning. The beer dinner taking place in the center of the restaurant was not as busy as I had expected it to be, and there might have been a couple of other tables in the restaurant, I'm not sure. Our waitress didn't get all of our orders taken until after 7:45. Bread arrived 10 minutes later, stale and cold. A couple of friends ordered pitchers of Sangria, which was not quite as good as the batch that I'd purchased previously, but still very good. However, the pitchers were tiny, filled to the top with ice, and $34 each. Most of our water glasses remained empty for long periods at a time while our waitress was nowhere to be found. The food was also very inconsistent with my first visit - I had tried the mac and cheese which was delicious and rich, and my friend that ordered it received a bowl of runny cheese-milk with noodles in it. The sauce on the mac and cheese was identical to the "fondue" appetizer she'd ordered. I ordered a grilled flatbread with cappicola, and what arrived was a glorified tortilla with some cheese and ham sprinkled on top. It was not a $12 meal. Some of the food was delicious, but the inconsistency was truly astounding. My husband's sirloin burger was cooked perfectly and was delicious. Another friend ordered the antelope burger, and stated that he preferred his meat as rare as possible, but as he'd never eaten antelope he would like the chef to prepare the burger as he recommend it be eaten. The burger came out well done, tough, and underseasoned. I also had this item on my first visit, ordered medium, and it was perfect. Our food did take a very long time to come out, which I could attribute to the kitchen being tied up cooking for the beer dinner. However, we were a large, paying party who made sure that regular service would be an option before we came. There were so many more issues with the food and service. I was appalled that I had so highly recommended the restaurant and taken a large group there. It was a disappointing meal for every single member of our party. This review would be much longer if I detailed each member's order and the multiple issues with each.
I am not a confrontational person. I have worked in food service before and the experience we had was inexcusable. My husband picked up our portion of the check and I left as a couple of our more confrontational party members said something to the waitress. Nothing was comped, no apology was given or explanation made, and none of us will be back. I had such high hopes for this restaurant after my first visit. I am saddened that my second experience was so disastrous. Downtown Mesa needs good local businesses and restaurants, and I was so excited that this would be one. If this is a typical experience I expect they won't last another year. Please, show me this was a fluke!
I was invited to Il Vinaio by a group of friends, and we ate there during an Octoberfest food/pairing event. We were not part of the event, however, and sat at a separate table.
About 50% of the food was adequate, the rest being poorly prepared, delivered cold, or overpriced. Here are my chief complaints:
1) $32 for a pitcher of ice and a touch of sangria. No thanks.
2) Overly cooked rice cannot be topped with melted cheese and sold as risotto.
3) Bread should not be harder than the table upon which it is placed.
4) Fondue is not cheese-flavored milk, and should be more viscous than a glass of water.
5) When a guest is dissatisfied with a $127 tab for slow service and underfilled pitchers, you should offer to comp something immediately.
6) If it is not your birthday when you sit down to dinner, it should not be your birthday when you get up to leave.
Our experience was positively awful. Eight of us shared this misery, and none of us will volunteer for this again. There are restaurants in town far more deserving of our money.
Unbelievably excited to find this gem as we were traveling through the area. Â An innovative and inspired menu full of local and organic ingredients. Â The wine list is stunning and they offer flights so that you can sample more. Â Our server was very knowledgeable about the menu and wines and steered me to an Italian grape I had never tried because I told her like peppery zins. Â She was right on, I can't remember what it was now but it was delicious! Â I had the lamb on papperdelle pasta and it satisfied every desire I had. Â My dining companions and I were just blown away by this quiet, unassuming, fabulous place that is creating such thoughtful and conscious food. Â The owner talked to us at our table (as she checked in with all the diners). Â She was delightful and is pouring her heart into this business. Â I hope AZ will support it!
Review Source:Nice atmosphere but no other customers on a Wednesday at lunch time.
Decent menu though a bit on the pricey side.
Wine was 2 for 1 at lunch... thought that was nice.
Great service.
Ordered the Vegetable Pasta and was looking forward to the zucchini and asparagus. Â It was way to peppery yet bland. Â Could have used more cheese also.
I wouldn't go back.
My mother received a coupon and wanted to try Il Vinaio before a show at the Mesa Arts Center. I had only been for dinner there once before a couple of years ago, and remembered that the service was so deplorable that we were worried that our host was embarrassed to have brought us there. But the restaurant was new and I understand that it takes time to work out the kinks. Turned out that this particular kink has not yet been untwisted.
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   The service is incongruent to the nice atmosphere and good menu. It's not just that the servers dress in jeans, tennis shoes and, I think, t-shirts, but that the quality of the work revealed the absence of proper training. Ex: no tray-jack, just set the entire large tray directly on our table, serving entrees while all of the appetizer and salad plates were still uncleared, never removing dinner plates, (we had to push the empty plates aside to do the check), no bussers which  decreased the amount of time we saw our server and greatly contributed to poor service.
   "Hi guys. My name is N_____. Let me tell you guys about the special." And then she literally began the description with, "It comes with...." She said the entire special backwards so that we had to wait until the end to know what the entree actually was! It went like this," It comes with X and Y over some (pasta?) and then you can get either A or B (fish or chicken maybe)." The way she told it was impossible to get a visual and I was so distracted by the delivery that I couldn't remember what the special was 10 seconds after she "described" it. Oh goodness.
   I ordered from an exciting gluten-free menu, which is a rare treat. I chose the braised lamb ragu with pappardelle pasta. My daughter wanted the same dish which was on the regular menu. However she told the server that she would go ahead and get the gluten-free as well, in order "to make sure the [identical] dishes don't get mixed up."  When the meals arrived, the lamb ragu was over CAPELLINI. When I told the server, she unapologetically said, "Oh, angel hair is the only gluten free pasta we have". I told her that my daughter never would have ordered the lamb ragu in gluten-free had she known. Our server didn't do anything with this piece of information to satisfy the problem. This would have been a good time for her to have told the owner that his/her error on the menu had caused two guests disappointment. Maybe at Il Vinaio they think, "Ahh, pasta is pasta. Who cares what shape it's in?"   Uh....we do!
     Important note: Ineptitude aside, the lamb ragu was DELICIOUS.
   However my father, who just had dental surgery, ordered tomato soup as his entree along with a sweet potato side. I don't believe that the same person who made the lamb ragu could possibly have made that soup. It was very watery and barely tasted of tomato. Dad's incredulity that it was being passed off as tomato soup caused him to want everyone at the table to try it.  And unfortunately for him, the sweet potato mash was not sweet as sweet potatoes usually are. After complaining about the soup, he received the black bean soup. The beans were undercooked, thus hard and unchewable for him. To top it all off, he had ordered an O'Douls over a half hour prior and had given up on it. In our attempt to assuage his suffering, we reminded the server who then brought it.
   When she brought the bill, I asked if she had taken anything off for not serving papardelle as the menu said. She replied, "I already took off his soup, sweet potatoes and O'Douls". I reminded her that the beer was 30 minutes late, and that the food he ordered was not good. I should have told her that in the restaurant business, once a drink takes 20 minutes to get to a guest, you give it to him with a sincere apology and it's comped. And when your guests find your food inedible, of course you do not charge them for that either.  Neither of which is a favor.
   I then talked to the owner about the menu item switch. She apologized for it. I told her that I didn't mind for myself since I'm just glad to get a good GF meal, but that something ought to be taken off of my daughter's entree since she never would have ordered the dish had she known that it was not as described. The owner did absolutely nothing except to apologize again. I was stunned by the owner's inaction. She  probably figured we were never coming back so why compensate for that particular error. If that was her thinking, she assessed the situation incorrectly. It's so hard to find a good gluten-free meal that I would definitely have gone again. Â
 I noticed a lively bar with about 10 seats. Il Vinaio is probably great for a drink and some socializing at the bar. Also I would mention the GF menu to anyone needing to follow that diet. But I offer a warning about the service.  The establishment is too nice and has too much going for it for the owners to overlook this shortcoming.
I had the antelope burger and it was very good. My fries were a bit undercooked, yet slightly oily, which tells me that the oil temperature needs to be increased and the cooking time needs to be decreased......
My wife had a filet mignon flatbread and we both thought it was quite good. She also had a strawberry salad and liked that very much as well.
The service was a bit wanting......our waittress did not tell us about the specials, and my wife had a bit of food envy when another waitress informed the table next to us what the specials were. This increased when we saw their food brought out. Whatever the special was, it looked great. Also, service was just a bit slow......no big deal because we had plenty of time before our show at Mesa Arts Center, but if I was not killing time, this could have become annoying.
Overall, solid execution on the food, fair service, and interesting environment. I am not clamoring to go back, but I wouldn't be opposed if it was suggested next time I am in Mesa. I say a solid 3 stars.
Went for the carne fest and it was probably the worst experience I have ever had for the $45 I paid for dinner. The waitress couldn't remember to bring me my drink, the food was either under or over-cooked, service lacked professionalism and they ran out of nearly everything.
I will never go here again.
Stopped in here for lunch today with Arlin B., Robyn N. & Mike C. Â I ordered an Antelope Burger with a salad & fries. Â The salad & fries were ok but the Antelope Burger was another story. Â First off, it arrived what I would call rare, when I had ordered it medium. Â The server lady took it back for a re-do, but the new, improved burger was totally blah. Â The meat had no flavor! Â Now this was my first (& last) Antelope Burger, so maybe it's normal for it to be tasteless, but in any event, that's how it was. Â The service was ok & the place is nice inside, but I have no plans to return.
Antelope Burger & small salad $13, fries extra.
Man, this place is something of a secret gem and I almost don't want to mention it because it's hip to be unheard of. Still, I want to see them succeed and I loathe hipster douchebaggery, so ...
Il Vinaio is not so much an Italian joint as it is a wine bar with an Italian name. I guess the fact that this used to be the location of a downtown diner confuses people; their menu changes every 6 months or so and it's always interesting.
Their happy hour specials are frequent and well-provisioned. Most days if you casually glance at twitter you'll find some sort of deal going on. They have wines for the upperclass twit wine snob and beer and donut pairings for the belching Homer types. Really. They've got everything, and the owners are some of the friendliest people you'll meet.
They do a very nice breakfast on weekends. On nights where there's live music you can expect a great, fun crowd. With one exception (now gone elsewhere) their servers are fantastic and knowledgeable and very friendly.
I suggest the Antelope burger, medium rare, light on the onions, with a glass of Sean Minor and a Padron '64 afterwards.
I've just been to Il Vinaio twice, both for breakfast... usually I go more before reviewing but the pancakes I had this morning were maybe the most delicious pancakes I've had EVER. They're buttery and moist and basically taste like cake. Who doesn't love cake, right? YUM.
Tried the blueberry crepes which were also fantastic. Service was amazing, super nice and attentive.
Il Vinaio you are truly beyond fabulous! i have been wooed with delicious filet mignon before but yours is to die for. Â The filet was served with divine mashed potatoes and quite possible the best brussel sprouts I've ever had. I've dined on this meal before and each time, I'm struck at how amazing Chef James is.
Though each meal I've had at Il Vinaio has been fantastic, this one was different. I brought family and friends and wanted to have them enjoy Il Vinaio as if it was my own home and they did.
The wonderful host and hostess,Camerin and Cindy, made sure that my friends and family enjoyed the same amazing food and hospitality I have. Amazing food is expected but wonderful hospitality is an art that not all restaurants can claim. Il Vinaio certaintly can.
Now, Il Vinaio may not hit a home run with every meal, every time but I have continued to go back to them again and again, for happy hour, for wine tastings, for New Years and celebrations and here is the thing - the patience and investment I have made in this restaurant has paid off.
The return on my patience and investment is more than a few mouthfuls of food that instantaneously brings a crazy smile to my face and makes me smiles days later and thank the heavens for Chef James. Â The best part is that they treat me, and they will treat you, like family. It is an experience not to be missed.
The Arizona Republic reviewer gave this restaurant rave reviews and commented that if dinner were that good, she was sure lunch would be too. Â WRONG!
Six of us went to lunch and no one was happy. Â Burgers that were ordered medium rare came as two very thin patties cooked well done. Â The reuben meat was fatty and there wasn't much of it.
Other friends who had coincidentally gone in (whether it was for lunch or dinner) were also disappointed.
Don't waste your money here. Â Go to The Grill on Main (a few blocks to the east) instead.
I have mixed feelings about this place because I think it has potential, and because I think heavy meat-eaters might like it. I'll start with the good stuff to counter my low stars . . .
The place is big with a large airy open space in the middle. They have live music on some nights and the space would be good for dancing, though I didn't get the feeling that dancing will be happening here -- maybe I'm wrong? The music that was playing while I was there was definitely not conducive to dancing -- VERY subdued, not that great.
There are separate (but fairly open) large areas at the sides and backs of the restaurant. These are great spaces for large parties.
The service was good, the meat-eaters in my group liked the meat (I'm vegan), and the owners spent a nice amount of time chatting with us and answering our questions. They're really trying to do something unique and serve high-quality food. They get their produce from a local farm -- One Windmill Farms -- which is awesome.
But that's the weird part -- I buy my own produce from that same farm, so I was really surprised to find that the vegetarian food my husband and I ordered was really bland. I don't know if it's the way they prepared the food, or if the produce they got that day just happened to be flavorless, but I have no interest in going back to find out.
So what did I get? The Angel Hair Pasta and the Bruscetta. It was the most bland pasta dish I've ever eaten. The bruscetta wasn't 100% flavorless -- it was drowning in garlic. I normally love a lot of garlic, but this was definitely overkill, and the tomato and basil were flavorless, just like on the pasta. The bread was too soggy for me, too, but my husband liked it.
There is an impression that Il Vinaio is a wine bar. It's not. Go to D'Vine if you want a Wine Bar. The wine list at Il Vinaio is limited. I had the Malbec and found it no better quality than any Malbec I can get at a typical restaurant -- just o.k.
Overall, it was the most flavorless food I can remember getting at a restaurant, but it was priced high.
BTW, there isn't much for a vegetarian to eat here. That didn't affect my star rating, but since I yelp for vegetarians, I wanted to mention it.
Thank goodness that the owners decided to revive this beautiful downtown location and turn it into a far better restaurant than the old cafeteria that used this building before.
Il Vinaio is a welcome addition to downtown Mesa. I've visited about a dozen times for breakfast and will continue to be a regular. I haven't had lunch or dinner there yet, but I suspect that the food and service would be consistent with their top-notch breakfast.
The staff is friendly and attentive. After a few visits, it was clear that they recognized us and gave us even warmer welcomes. It seems like they genuinely enjoy their jobs.
I've had the crepes with blueberries and marscapone (only $6 - take that, Crackers) a couple of times. The fruit is fresh and the crepes are perfectly cooked. It's sweet but wonderfully executed.
Lately I've stuck with eggs for breakfast - either the $5 breakfast sandwich on an English muffin with a generous portion of potatoes, or two eggs (I take mine poached, which they do in the traditional style, so no added fat) with potatoes and sausage for about $7. I'm not a fan of potatoes, but I love what they do with them for breakfast. They are oven roasted, slightly crispy, with roasted and almost caramelized onions. The taste is fantastic.
I do have a couple of complaints that I hope the owners will work on:
1) Buy some good (hot) tea options. You are a nice restaurant and should have something other than Lipton plain black. Invest in a variety pack with herbal and green teas, plus Earl Grey.
2) Replace your ceiling vents. They're disturbingly unattractive.
Eating breakfast here regularly now, love it.
To all you haters who have NEVER EVEN BEEN HERE who are writing 1-star reviews, over the lion burger controversy - shame on you! Â So you don't like the lion meat thing - I get that. Â Have at it in the discussion topic here. Â But if you haven't eaten here, DON'T POST A BOGUS REVIEW just for the sake of giving the joint 1 star and attempting to drag their average down. Â That's BS, and you're a lousy Yelper if you're doing this.
Downtown Mesa isn't normally known for higher quality food or destination restaurants, but Il Vinaio is looking to buck that trend. It doesn't look like much from the outside and resides in an older building which resembles a diner built circa 1965. Inside, however, is a whole different story.
The restaurant has a large area in the middle that is mainly open and provides room for the live music. The upper part of the central area has wine related quotes on the walls. It's a nice touch and it adds some airiness to the layout. On either side of this central area is more seating. The tables are cozy and some even have small loveseat-like benched pulled up to them on one side. This was a nice touch and my date and I were able to sit next side by side and view the band (and each other) well. That set up is also conducive for sharing food.
There is a bar in the back corner of the restaurant and that seemed to be the most popular spot because there were only a few other patrons in the restaurant outside of the bar area (pretty empty for a Friday night). The live music is a nice touch, but it can get a little loud, so I'd recommend sitting away from the center of the restaurant if you want any chance of carrying on a conversation.
The wine list is a nice size and is good quality overall. Prices were kind of all over the map: from 1.5 - 3.0x retail. I was pleasantly surprised to see a Consilience Syrah on the menu ($11/glass), so we ordered that. It was absolutely lovely, with rich fruit and a smooth, lingering finish.
The food is basically a hodgepodge of Italian meets Greek meets Spanish combined with a little bit of whatever the chef feels like today. The menu broken in to Starters (apps and salads) and Entrees (fish, meat, and pasta dishes). As you know, I'm a fan of sharing food because it means you get to try more from the menu. Here's a rundown of what we ordered:
  * Classico Bruschetta - This was pretty much what you'd expect ingredient-wise: tomatoes, garlic, basil, and Parmesan on toasted bread. However, this was probably the best bruschetta I've ever eaten (and I've had my share, trust me). The bread was toasted perfected in olive oil; slightly crunchy on the outside, yet soft in the middle. The tomatoes were so juicy and flavorful that we were fighting over them. The one warning I will give is that there is no lack of garlic on this.
  *  Caesar Salad - Perfect size for sharing. This came with more of those yummy diced tomatoes on top, which I like on a Caesar. The dressing was very nice, with just enough pureed anchovies and garlic to give it a little kick without killing it. Croutons were good, but not great.
  * Pasta Pomodoro -Angel hair pasta with fresh tomatoes (you sensing a meal theme here yet?), garlic, basil, and olive oil. Again, the tomatoes just rocked our world. The server split our dish for us, too, which I always appreciate. The pasta was good, but actually a tad bland. I rarely add salt to food after it's cooked, but this dish needed some and a dose of pepper flakes, too.
  * Individual Apple Pie - The server may have been trying to get into my date's good graces as this dessert just appeared without us ordering it. We weren't complaining, though, because it was very good. Basically, it was a large ramekin lined with puff pasty, filled with apple pie goodness, and baked. Then topped with vanilla bean ice cream and a little caramel. The pastry was awesome as was the ice cream. The apples were good, but it was a bit much for me after the prior 3 courses. We put a nice dent in it, tho...
Final Take
The service was really top notch and very attentive. The food was solid and the wine selection was very good (beer choices are nice, too). Now whether downtown Mesa is ready for what Il Vinaio is offering is another story and I think that's biggest issue they face. The Mesa Center for the Arts is right down the street, so hopefully concert and theater goers will stumble upon this restaurant. But what I think would help Il Vinaio the most is some competition. My thoughts on this are that when you have a single, high quality restaurant surrounded by lower budget eateries, it's harder to draw the crowd to you. However, if there were a few higher quality restaurants in that area, well now you have something to attract more people. When one place is busy, you go to the next one over and check it out. Il Vinaio deserves to succeed and I hope that Mesa encourages similar caliber restaurants to set up shop.
Overall Grade = B+ (Very Good)
The East Valley Foodie
Rating would have been a 5* after our initial visit last week, but after tonight, it goes down to just 2*. Â They had a "special" going that got you 2 entrees and any bottle of wine for $50, however, they were out of four of the bottles we asked for, and would not recommend any of the other Reds...needless to say, we passed on the "special" and just ordered our meal. Â When my wife asked to substitute the onions on her steak (there were a ton) for another vegetable, the waitress got snippy with us, and said she would ask. Â When we got our meal, instead of a different veggie, there was none, essentially her (tiny) steak and a serving of potatos, and that was it. Â The bad part was that the waitress never bothered to ask if that was ok, just brought the food and said that they preferred not to make the onions since we said we wanted something else!
Overall, an extremely disappointing experience...too bad too, because our last visit was great.
I read the reviews, looked at the pictures, but still did not expect the dining experience I had at Il Vinaio. Â The atmosphere was very lively, with several different guys getting up to sing and a live band playing some Italian tunes.
We started out with the share platter, which was a great starter. The veggies and soppressata all seemed fresh, and with a glass of wine could probably satisfy the needs of a couple light eaters. Â For our entree we chose the rigatoni with tenderloin tips and the braised pork shank. Â It has been a long time since I had a pork shank, but I don't recall it being as tender and juicy as this one. Â Rigatoni was excellent as well. Â There wasn't one thing on either of our plates that I would have given under 4 stars. Â Couple that with great service and a fun atmosphere, and Il Vinaio has given me a good reason to occasionally visit Mesa.
This used to be the Mesa Eatery and was dying a slow death. The new owners have turned it around 100%.
I have only had breakfast here, which has improved a little. The prices are still astonishingly low, and the service is reasonable (really depends on how busy they are). The atmosphere in here is fantastic - they gutted and rebuilt this place. It no longer looks like a rundown 1950's Big Boy and now resembles a chic wine bar. Have you ever had breakfast on a couch? They still need to update the bathrooms, but I can live with them just being clean.
Try this for breakfast!
I am so sorry that I have to write such a negative review of this new restaurant, because it's family owned and operated, and clearly trying hard to provide an upscale experience in a less-than-optimal atmosphere. Â However, Il Vinaio missed the mark at every given opportunity.
I came in for a group event that had been scheduled as a wine tasting with wine samples and a cheese/fruit/nut appetizer included for $15 a head. Â When our party arrived, we were informed by our host that a different large party had also booked a wine tasting, and would be sitting in the semi-private area, and would be doing a wine tasting so we could not. Â I have yet to receive an explanation on why we could not do our wine tasting simply because another party was doing one simultaneously. Â Needless to say, this immediately dampened the mood.
Our server, who I gather was the restaurant owner, was pushy with having us order two bottles straightaway, though our entire party had not arrived, instead of by the glass, and this theme continued through the evening. Â He continually seemed irritated that we were not ordering as much as he would have liked us to, or that it took us time to decide which dishes to order, etc. Â We all agreed that he was a bit snippy, and he didn't provide us much in the way of recommendations.
The wine itself was fine, particularly the Schloss Riesling, and the food was decent, as well, with very generous portions. Â The cheese plate was good, but it was not impressive that the female owner was not able to tell us what cheeses had been served to us when she came over to ask us how our experience had been. Â The cheese plate was the one thing we all raved about and wanted more information on, and all she had to say was, "we serve lots of cheeses and mix it up. I think there was a blue cheese that was made in a cave." Â That was disappointing, and I expected much more from an owner.
As stated in other reviews, from the outside, it looks like an old Marie Callender's or Furr's Cafeteria or something of that ilk. Â Even inside, you can tell that it was once a place that had a buffet, and was clearly built in the early 70's. Â However, you can see that effort has gone into revamping it, and it's decent. Â Not great, but decent. Â At least it has its own parking lot. Â
It was so disappointing to have our plans changed for us and then to have less-than-stellar service as a result. Â We all spent more per person than intended, and did not receive what we had reserved our table for. Â The service by both owners did not seem very personalized or knowledgable, and that is the opposite of what I'm looking for when I visit a more upscale wine bistro. Â I don't think I'll be back, and it's really too bad.
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