Having actually stopped by Travinia Italian Kitchen a few days before they opened and being impressed with the décor inside, I couldn’t wait to actually eat there. I finally had my chance yesterday. All I can say is “Mama Mia!” The food was incredible.
The inside of Travinia was energetic and lively, and the waitstaff was welcoming and friendly. But even more impressive was the outdoor seating areas that were perfectly suited for al fresco dining. I also thought it very interested that there was a bench right beyond the outdoor dining area where I sat waiting for my table. It was a perfect place to relax and wait for our name to be called. It was far enough away from the other dinners not to disturb them, but not as far so that you couldn’t see what they were eating. I was getting hungry.
Once inside, I quickly ordered a glass of Hindsight Cabernet and it was very full bodied and tasty—just the way I like it. My meal started with a Cesar salad, and I have to admit this was the second best Cesar salad I had in my entire life. The first one was at a hotel in New York City where they did the whole production of making the salad at your table. While Travinia’s wasn’t made at the table, it was a close second in taste to the New York City one. Each piece of lettuce seemed like it was hand selected. Every piece was green and crisp. No dead looking rusty looking leaves here. The dressing was extremely flavorful with a hint of anchovy and the garlic croutons were crunchy and full of garlic flavor. A+
We also had to try the mussels since we saw them come out when we were waiting for our table. They were large and fresh (but were harder than usual to get out of the shells). They were swimming in a broth so delicious that I can’t even begin to describe it. I would say it was made up of butter, garlic, white wine and oregano and some other secret ingredients. There also were toasty pieces of bread to sop up the broth which was all gone in a matter of minutes. A+
Time for a second glass of wine. This time is was the Martin Ray cabernet and was also a real pleasure to drink. It was also nice to see that most every table was drinking wine. This seems like my kind of place.
For my main course, I went with the seafood pescatora which is a spicy tomato based seafood dish server over linguini. The seafood, which consisted of mussels, scallops, shrimp, and calamari was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The spicy sauce was also very tasty but not overly spicy and really complimented the seafood. The linguini, I have to admit, was a little overcooked. But the dish otherwise was very successful and a joy to eat.
My meal ended very traditionally with Tiramisu and a double espress (of course). But before that arrived, my dinning partner and I were giftedwith four little cannoli—a very nice, sweet, and tasty touch. Now back to the tiramisu… This ain’t your nonna’s tiramisu. This is a contemporary rendition that puts the old classic to shame. It was plated whimsically with lines of honey and fluffy cream. And of course the taste was out of this world. I can honestly say this was the best tiramisu I had ever had.
I always think the true test of a restaurant is whether you would consider going back. Will I go back to Travinia? Absolutely! I haven’t been to such a flavorful and delicious restaurant in some time. With a well-stocked wine list, tasty food, great service and reasonable prices, what isn’t there to love. Mamma Mia!