text: Downtown Mesa is not normally known for higher quality food or destination restaurants but Il Vinaio is looking to buck that trend It does not look like much from the outside and resides in an older building which resembles a diner built circa Inside however is a whole different story nnThe restaurant has a large area in the middle that is mainly open and provides room for the live music The upper part of the central area has wine related quotes on the walls It is a nice touch and it adds some airiness to the layout On either side of this central area is more seating The tables are cozy and some even have small loveseatlike benched pulled up to them on one side This was a nice touch and my date and I were able to sit next side by side and view the band and each other well That set up is also conducive for sharing foodnnThere is a bar in the back corner of the restaurant and that seemed to be the most popular spot because there were only a few other patrons in the restaurant outside of the bar area pretty empty for a Friday night The live music is a nice touch but it can get a little loud so I would recommend sitting away from the center of the restaurant if you want any chance of carrying on a conversationnnThe wine list is a nice size and is good quality overall Prices were kind of all over the map from x retail I was pleasantly surprised to see a Consilience Syrah on the menu glass so we ordered that It was absolutely lovely with rich fruit and a smooth lingering finishnnThe food is basically a hodgepodge of Italian meets Greek meets Spanish combined with a little bit of whatever the chef feels like today The menu broken in to Starters apps and salads and Entrees fish meat and pasta dishes As you know I am a fan of sharing food because it means you get to try more from the menu Here is a rundown of what we orderednn Classico Bruschetta This was pretty much what you would expect ingredientwise tomatoes garlic basil and Parmesan on toasted bread However this was probably the best bruschetta I have ever eaten and I have had my share trust me The bread was toasted perfected in olive oil slightly crunchy on the outside yet soft in the middle The tomatoes were so juicy and flavorful that we were fighting over them The one warning I will give is that there is no lack of garlic on thisn Caesar Salad Perfect size for sharing This came with more of those yummy diced tomatoes on top which I like on a Caesar The dressing was very nice with just enough pureed anchovies and garlic to give it a little kick without killing it Croutons were good but not greatn Pasta Pomodoro Angel hair pasta with fresh tomatoes you sensing a meal theme here yet garlic basil and olive oil Again the tomatoes just rocked our world The server split our dish for us too which I always appreciate The pasta was good but actually a tad bland I rarely add salt to food after it is cooked but this dish needed some and a dose of pepper flakes too n Individual Apple Pie The server may have been trying to get into my dates good graces as this dessert just appeared without us ordering it We were not complaining though because it was very good Basically it was a large ramekin lined with puff pasty filled with apple pie goodness and baked Then topped with vanilla bean ice cream and a little caramel The pastry was awesome as was the ice cream The apples were good but it was a bit much for me after the prior courses We put a nice dent in it thonnFinal Take nnThe service was really top notch and very attentive The food was solid and the wine selection was very good beer choices are nice too Now whether downtown Mesa is ready for what Il Vinaio is offering is another story and I think that is biggest issue they face The Mesa Center for the Arts is right down the street so hopefully concert and theater goers will stumble upon this restaurant But what I think would help Il Vinaio the most is some competition My thoughts on this are that when you have a single high quality restaurant surrounded by lower budget eateries it is harder to draw the crowd to you However if there were a few higher quality restaurants in that area well now you have something to attract more people When one place is busy you go to the next one over and check it out Il Vinaio deserves to succeed and I hope that Mesa encourages similar caliber restaurants to set up shopnnOverall Grade B Very GoodnnThe East Valley Foodie