VIVO Partenza - CLOSED

• Cuisine(s): Italian
  Price: $$$ $, $$, $$$
  Payment Types: All Major Credit Cards, cash
• Attire: Business Casual
  Serving: Dinner
  Alcohol: Beer/Wine, Full bar
• Reservations: Accepted
  Parking: Free, Lot Available, Valet

Description

Restaurateur Tony Bova reopened in his old spot (Bova) after a brief hiatus with a new name but a familiar menu that's slightly more moderate in price. The former Italian boite once made a splash with its after-hours club crowd, but more mature diners populate it these days. A dramatic interior boasts white leather seating and marble-topped tables, intimate chaises, and bar seating. Bova started out long ago in town with Mario's, making pizzas and putting out a homestyle Italian menu, and he returns some of these roots to Vivo with plenty of pizzas and pastas -- all house-made. The upscale, mostly Southern Italian menu includes appetizers such as arancini (classic rice balls) and panzerottini (mini calzones), then moves to modern spins on classics such as foie gras sliders. "Tony's favorite" is the Sicilian pie -- with fried peppers, scrambled eggs, and imported ham. Main plates include penne ala vodka, bucatini all'Amatricana, rigatoni with pork ragu, and the signature "Forever braised" short ribs with rigatoni and broccoli rabe. A steak list, along with fresh seafoods and chops, rounds out the menu, while an impressive wine selection matches the food. Sturdy cocktails keep happy-hour types in their seats. Sunday brunch and Sunday dinner are specials -- and you can expect good service anytime.