Chef brings Sicilian flavors to Lorton's Pane e Vino

Brooklyn-born Italian American Antonino Di Nicola recently celebrated the opening of a “La Bottega,” or shop, adjoining his stylish Italian eatery in Lorton Town Center.

Di Nicola is chef, butcher and baker at Pane e Vino Ristorante e Pizzeria, reminiscent of an authentic trattoria (casual café) with wooden tables, Italian music and garlic wafting in the air.

Assisted by his business partners — brother-in-law Salvatore Li Rocchi and nephew David Abella — Di Nicola stays true to his roots serving rustic Sicilian cuisine.

Di Nicola was prodded by his father to learn and speak better Italian, leading to his return to Sicily at age 13.

After graduating from college with a Masters in Art Education, he began working at his mother-in-law’s restaurant, Villa Belvedere, in Ciminna, Sicily, where he developed his passion for cooking. In 1999 he returned to the United States to open his own restaurant.

Sicilian cooking, influenced by two countries bordering the Mediterranean — Greece (to the west) and Africa (to the south) — embraces traditional ingredients such as eggplant, olives, olive oil, fish, mussels and couscous.

“Fettuccini Malafemmina,” a favorite entrée at Pane e Vino, reflects this influence with its sautéed clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops and crab meat in white wine garlic sauce with black olives, tomatoes and capers.

“Penne del Bosco”, another popular entrée, consists of penne pasta with mixed wild mushrooms, onions and meat sauce in a tomato cream sauce. I savored the combination of flavors and varied textures in this dish. The delicate tomato cream sauce melded perfectly with the carefully-selected ingredients.

Di Nicola referenced a dish called “Gnocchi al profumo di Salvia” (gnocchi pasta mixed with baby clams and chopped clams in a sage butter sauce), which he says is representative of the land and water that resonates with the cuisine of the island of Sicily.

“You got the sea — the clams — and you have [the] land — gnocchi, made from potatoes. So you have both; sea and land meet up,” he said.

The menu is a wealth of imaginative creations from Di Nicola and the ten members of his kitchen staff. With names like “Funghi e Spinaci” (grilled mushrooms with spinach served in a light lemon, olive oil dressing), “Mozzarella alla Carrettiera” (sliced Italian bread stuffed with mozzarella, battered in egg and fried to perfection) and the classic Sicilian dish, “Involtini alla Norma” (baked eggplant stuffed with pasta, ricotta and topped with mozzarella cheese), there is no need to brush up on your Italian before visiting Pane e Vino. Each item on the impressive menu is described in detail. I delight in the grilled mushroom and spinach salad, and was ecstatic when my attentive waitress informed me grilled mushrooms can be added to any entrée.

For extra value, daily lunch specials are offered for a mere $9.99 (10 percent off with military ID) Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

You can select from a substantial entrée menu, including soup or salad. I highly recommend the “Farfallette alla Garibaldi,” consisting of bow tie pasta with ham, green peas, asparagus, onions and mushrooms in Di Nicola’s homemade cream sauce. “Rigatoni alla Traviata” made with diced eggplant, onions, basil and plum tomatoes is a formidable runner-up.

Another reason to add Pane e Vino to your “must go” list is its elaborate all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch. (Check out the “gallery” photos on its Web site.) This wall-to-wall buffet, served 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., is a gastronome’s delight. Stations of made-to-order pasta, omelets, waffles and wood-fired pizza represent only a portion of this generous feast. Entrées of fish, lamb and pork, as well as a carving station for beef, a salad bar, and an elaborate pastry bar accompany the traditional breakfast items. During my visit, distinctive items, like white asparagus and quarters of fresh avocados filled with a marinated mixture of tomatoes and olives, joined an impressive antipasto platter at the salad bar. Melon and mango balls, papaya wedges, fresh blueberries, raspberries and giant blackberries were displayed in colorful array.

Exhibiting the kitchen’s attention to detail, fresh slices of pineapple, pink grapefruit and watermelon lay perfectly aligned, pared and seedless. Kid-size cereal boxes are even available for little ones. This spread is quite a bargain at $16.99 per person, including one mimosa each.

You may want to drop in for some homemade gelato. A small freezer tucked just inside the front door, offers a dozen flavors of homemade goodness.

My mouth watered as Di Nicola described gelato in a bun — the Italian version of an ice cream sandwich, called “brioche” on the menu. Freshly-baked, sweetened pastry is sliced open and filled with the gelato of your choice. The day I visited, flavors included espresso, pistachio, kiwi, strawberry and tiramisu.

In the new shop, patrons can purchase his homemade sauces, breads, meat, cheeses and wine.

The expansion increased seating in the restaurant and enlarged the kitchen. The additional space includes a “chef’s table” Di Nicola refers to as “the experience.”

Pane e Vino hosts monthly wine dinners and occasionally sponsors special events with international winemakers; reservations required. Catering and take-out is also available.
One certainly doesn’t need an excuse to visit Pane e Vino often!

Mary Ann Kauchak lives in Lake Ridge. Send questions or comments to makauchak@comcast.net.