Star treatment in Silver Spring

I spent this afternoon lunching at Vicino Ristorante Italiano in Silver Spring (959 Sligo Avenue), to mark a coworker’s last day at the office. The small, affordable restaurant is heavy on hospitality, but if you like your Italian food prepared with subtlety, you may find the experience just too heavy, period.

My group got the star treatment at the place, thanks to the presence of my friend, a frequent customer. The owner greeted him warmly, and in his honor, served our table of six with not one, but three complimentary appetizers: sautéed mushrooms ($5.25), a triple order of garlic bread with cheese ($2.50) and a dish of sautéed asparagus (not on the menu). The appetizers, as well as the two bountiful baskets of homemade bread served with both butter and garlic-infused olive oil, had most of us stuffed before our entrées were even served. Still, garlic, butter and oil are the themes of each of these dishes, even for the slightly undercooked asparagus (though I’ll take a nearly-raw vegetable over an overdone one any day). The mushrooms were dripping, the asparagus was sopping and the garlic squares were soaked. Still, you’d be hard pressed to find too many people complaining when dishes have "too much garlic" or "too much butter," so I was in the minority at a table of people feeling generously well-fed.

Since my budget lately has me trading ragouts for ramen most of the time, I ordered the cheap chicken parmigiana sub, which I found pretty unremarkable. It was served on more of their delicious bread, but the sauce was heavier than my usual preference (the taste, though, was just sweet enough without being overpowering). The chicken was pounded thin, but still managed to have a tough consistency, and its breaded coating slipped off easily. I was pleased, though, with the unexpected bonus of a cup of minestrone on the side (a companion who ordered the same dish received pasta fagioli). For only $6.50 for both, it’s hard to nitpick too much.

Companions were pleased with meat and portabello mushroom ravioli dishes, manicotti and veal piccatta. For lunch, sandwiches from Italian cold cuts to calzones all cost a mere $6.50; dinner items range from $6.50 ravioli dishes to a $16.75 shrimp Francese, but most fall between $11 and $13. The menu doesn’t stray from the Italian classics, but you’ll find every favorite, from chicken cacciatore to shrimp fra diavalo. The service is attentive, charming and unfailingly accurate.

All in all, Vicino isn’t for either adventurous or light eaters, but those craving an affordable Italian meal often just want something they can count on. Vicino delivers that, and the staff seems grateful you’re giving them the opportunity to do so. So if you find it’s your taste, go often. The regulars certainly get the royal treatment.