Vincenzo's

Vincenzo's Restaurant Review:

The original Vincenzo's, which had limited seating and bathrooms out back, was once an old gas station. Today, it's a little more upscale in a spacious suburban spot in Sharonville that even has a private dining room. Owner Vincenzo Mazzocca, at one time the chef at a downtown hotel, cooks the food of his homeland with passion and inspired simplicity. The menu encourages diners to select one of nine kinds of pasta prepared in your choice of nearly a dozen ways. Whether it's a cream sauce with diced pancetta, tomato sauce with meat, or a number with vegetables, garlic and oil, Mazzocca himself is there to create it as requested. We recommend the "misto di mare" specialty: shrimp, scallops and salmon, sautéed in olive oil and garlic with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and artichoke hearts, and served over pasta or a bed of fresh spinach. Vincenzo's offers many other fine seafood dishes, and all can be done piccata-style, blackened or grilled. A nice variety of drinks are available, and although there's no bar to speak of, there is an extensive wine list. For a true Italian pick-me-up at meal's end, opt for the tiramisu, or try the cannoli with ricotta cream filling. If you can't get enough, Vincenzo's sells jars of sauce to take home.