vero

palo alto, ca

website

oh vero. the first time i walked by your white table-clothed, dimly lit restaurant, you reminded me of the amazing italian restaurants that i used to frequent in manhattan. i dragged derek through your doors, desperate for a bowl of classic linguine con vongole. and you dazzled with freshly steamed clams, in a winey buttery sauce, perfectly al dente pasta, and an unexpected hint of fire from calabrese chili peppers. service left much to be desired, but that only heightened the manhattan-like experience. i was thrilled and convinced that you would be a frequent destination.

i similarly dragged my dear friends vanita and tina on a second occasion, expecting them to be similarly dazzled. oh vero. how disappointed we were. tina and i ordered the linguine con vongole. clams were filled with sand. the sauce was okay, but the calabrese peppers (which really made the dish) were missing. we vacillated over whether or not to complain, but i had such high hopes i wanted to give you a chance to redeem yourself. we discussed whether or not the peppers were supposed to be there. you insisted that they weren't. we insisted they did. you finally checked the menu and realized they were and apologized for the "new" chef, handing me a pepper on a plate. sigh.