Meat lasagna-Fresh baked with ground beef, mozzarella, ricotta and pecorino romano cheese. Homemade meatballs. Chicken with mixed greens salad. Zabaglione - a weekend special, mamma's Italian custard.

(photo: Rose Mattrey)

Two things happened as I left Vino’s for the first time: I was planning my return and wondering if, on the other side of the door, Buffalo had magically been transformed into Brooklyn. Vino’s is one of the best kept secrets in Buffalo, appealing to both our Italian-food-loving population and those who crave good, honest, fresh cuisine.

There is both a sense of familiarity and a feeling of mystery about the place. Husband and wife owners Tony and Kathleen Cangianiello are friendly and accommodating, but family secrets are family secrets. When you’re approached by Tony as you’re dining, try asking him a couple of questions about the food: What’s in the vinaigrette that makes it so fresh and lively? What does he do to make the meatballs so luscious? You’ll get a smile and an allusion to the family recipes, but he’ll reveal nothing. Don’t worry, you won’t be offended. With charm to spare, both Tony and Kathleen will win you over with their affable natures and the food they prepare and serve. “It’s the little things we do at Vino’s. Tell your friends,” says Tony.

Decor at Vino’s reflects the sweet charm of this small restaurant. Up front are the traditional double bay windows found in older buildings, and two prime tables sit in the nooks. The long wooden bar with modern mirrors above and dark green leather beneath is illuminated by small white drop lights. There are eight tables in front and five tables in the back of the restaurant, plus a small lounge in the far back where, if you have to wait, you can watch The Godfather on a small flat screen, peruse a book on Georgia O’Keefe or simply enjoy the firelight from the small electric fireplace. Artwork placed throughout the restaurant is both tasteful and eclectic. Two abstract expressionist-style paintings grace the front room, along with two 1920s large format advertisement posters for Modiano and Martini & Rossi Vermouth Bianco. With bold lines and highly saturated colors, these popular old ad posters look great in the bustling atmosphere of a lively restaurant. In the back of the restaurant is a large, fun painting of martini glasses, repeating and changing colors Warhol style.

Even without the pleasant design of the space, the food stands alone as a reason to fall in love with Vino’s. Tony makes all the sauces and main dishes and Kathleen takes care of the salad dressings and the desserts. The menu is limited, so plan on eating traditional food while you are here. During the lunch hours you can enjoy sandwiches, salads and pastas; at night, there are six to eight appetizers, traditional soups and salads, and a dozen or so pasta dishes (don’t forget to add a meatball or two to your entrée selection). The prices are inexpensive throughout and you will receive more than your money’s worth.

The wine list is small, with eight whites and eight reds. All are reasonably priced: Bottles go for $18-$26 while wines by the glass are offered for $5-$5.50. Appropriately, the list is heavy on Italian wines. I had a Banfi “Centine” blend of Sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon and merlot, and my friend picked a Banfi “Le Rime” blend of chardonnay and pinot grigio.

To start our meal, our waiter brought nice fresh Italian bread, constantly checking to see if we needed more. Our appetizers came promptly. The Caprese salad was composed of fresh ingredients served in a simple white bowl. Four pieces of buffalo mozzarella were placed with bright red tomatoes and then drizzled with balsamic and nice olive oil. Our other appetizer was the “Steak alla Vino” consisting of two two-ounce pieces of steak cooked to medium, still juicy, over crispy multi-seed garlic toast. The steak was cooked with pepper and topped with parmesan cheese. On side of the plate was a garbanzo bean salad with melt-in-your-mouth chickpeas, diced tomatoes, scallions and herbs. Tony admonished us to finish every bean on our plate: “We don’t take back plates that are not empty.”

After the last bean disappeared, our salads (included with the entrée) arrived, a simple presentation of fresh mesclun mix heavy on green leaf and cut tomatoes with a wonderfully lively dressing and hints of lemon zest flavors.

For her entrée, my friend had cheese ravioli. Five plump ravioli rested on her plate, with the homemade red sauce on top. A dash of parmesan completed the dish. My pesto spaghetti was visually charged with the vibrant green of basil, olive oil and parmesan on top. The last time I had pesto so good was nearly 20 years ago at the home of Mrs. Bonami, my college friend’s older Italian aunt. Later, when I was raving about the flavors of the pesto, Kathleen told me they look forward to summer when they grow their own basil.

We also ordered a meatball and an Italian sausage to share. The meatball was about two inches in diameter, with at least two kinds of meat (I’m guessing veal and beef—am I right, Tony?) and the flavors were sweet and delicate. Tony’s been making these little round treasures for 20 years. The authentic family recipe, he said, calls for pine nuts and raisins. If they ever have this on special, I’ll be the first in line.

They offer about a dozen desserts every night. About half are homemade by Kathleen, there is an Italian cookie plate made by “Aunt Pat” and the rest are brought in from Carriage House Pastry down the street. The desserts looked absolutely divine perched at the edge of the bar, and all were 100 percent tempting. We had Kathleen’s famous rum cake and the most adorable chocolate-covered strawberries. With the name “Vino’s” in flowery script across each berry, these little works of art had to be gazed upon for a while before biting in. The big sweet strawberry, covered in high-quality dark chocolate adorned with a small rolled white chocolate stick, completed the pleasurable experience. As far as the moist, heavenly rum cake, I will quote my friend: “I don’t know if I can have any more of this, because I may get too excited.”

Our server that evening was gracious, and with Tony roaming the dining room greeting and talking with everyone, we felt well taken care of. My friend, who is of Italian descent, kept saying, “This is how it really is!” Sharing good, home-cooked food is paramount in these gregarious households, and at Vino’s they have merely extended the borders of their home to include the restaurant. Kathleen remarked to me, “We have always wanted to do this, Tony’s in heaven cooking for people.” As an appreciative guest, I am happy they have followed their dream.