entertaining views from cincinnati: Via Vite: It Just Gets Better

From the smart, excellent food, wide-ranging menus to the extensive hours of operation, professional team service, and intriguing music, Via Vite is turning into a landmark

The Jewel Box of Fountain Square

We wrote about Via Vite back in the spring of 2011. It’s a restaurant we’ve always liked for a number of reasons. It’s in the true center of Cincinnati – right on Fountain Square – but it feels like it could be in New York or San Francisco. Along with
Nicola’s, which is its more upscale counterpart, it’s the best Italian food in the region. The service is exemplary, just as if the staff was working in a moderately priced national chain (I mean that as the highest compliment) with efficient teamwork. However, it goes beyond that with subtle dishes in portions that are larger than they initially appear prepared from scratch by a hard working kitchen staff led by the quietly charming, very talented Cristian Pietoso.

Here are a couple of other details that place it in a different league for a moderately priced independent: it’s open 11 p.m. – 1 a.m. Thursday through Saturday with a tightened menu for after theatre, concert, or ball games; the two course $15 Sunday Brunch menu is one of the best deals in the region; the music selection is always intriguing because it’s neither elevator music, ‘classic’ rock, or current pop. Instead, it crosses over a number of genres without seeming obscure. Each time I’ve been there, I’ve heard a song about which I wanted more information. The music is chosen by the general managers or staff members from their own play lists.

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