Via Vite — Restaurant in Cincinnati

My last visit to Via Vite was in my true youth, and now as a young man of the world, I can appreciate what you've done with the place. White tablecloths! This reminds me of my days in the finest corners of Lombardy and Veneto... we'd watch the manufacturers of trade, those serious Italians in their own type of black-suited world; modernity determined by Fellini and Tati... oh, forgive me, I'm dreaming again!

Kindly, for your own health, skip the glass of water marketed as an Aperol Spritz. The Italian Stone Sour is so far from sour but no less amusing for its own good: a bright lollipop of flavor with the Bourbon so beautifully masked not unlike guests of the lavish Carnevale di Venezia. It's not undrinkable (actually it's a bit refreshing), it's just more suited to please the sweeter outcroppings of your taste buds. Playful!

This really stunned me: the warm bread was served directly upon the tablecloth (with butter, but no salt!). A mark of hygiene and charm. It was so refreshing and offered some much-needed whimsy. Wait a minute. Remember Le Cirque? Via Vite reminds me of Le Cirque. The bread served directly on the white table cloth would have thrilled Sirio, the poor dear.

Via Vite would be right to lean even further into this whimsical interpretation of fine dining as a differentiator in Cincinnati- Jean-Robert isn't doing it anymore (and it was all too postmodern for his own good when he was). If you crave whimsy, forget the re-creation of Miss Havisham's bedroom at Boca and avoid the dungeon of Sotto. Rustic beauty is almost done, anyway.

If Via Vite doubled down on the whimsy, that silly old Italian Stone Sour could be the most amusing drink on the menu- a charming pop of sweet in a city trapped in between the individual hells of "smoky" and "peppery”.

We still indulged. An antipasto salad was so laden with such a potent vinaigrette that the veggies themselves began turning back from the front lines midway through. That said, the greenery was wonderfully crunchy and the cauliflower (pickled?) sparked a memory of my Russian roots. The full size carrot was a charming piece of Italian architecture and a nod to the Slow Food movement there. The burrata was tortured- I’m sorry, served- with wilted broccoli and enough acidity to compromise steel, the few tomatoes there enjoying a round of hide-and-seek and crostini being genetically modified to be reproduced as croutons. The tagliatelle must have been washed in boiling seawater but the sizes of the meat chunks was the real point of contention- I liked the larger format but my dining companion saw it as lazy. The meat was flavorful and a meaningful contributor. Through all of it, an edible meal in a very pleasant environment.

The physical arrangement makes for good people watching and happy commentary. However, the urgency that cloaked the meal was a bit oppressive. This is nobody’s fault but a true challenge for any American establishment trying to walk the line between authenticity (Italy: being essentially left alone for the whole meal), the expected behavior of wait staff in American places (attentive, approachable), and even some of the silent pampering of the French style involving six waiters per table. Until my utensils are turned, I'm not finished eating. Until I give you my gaze, I'm not ready for the bill.

That said, balances can be struck. With such an indulgent environment (a beautiful dining room well-positioned like the Four Seasons was at the Seagram Building), this sensation of being “shuffled along” felt counter to everything good about Via Vite. The lasting legacy of many great restaurants isn’t that the food was amazing, but the fact it was the place to be, for as long as you'd like. Via Vite is tantalizingly close to being that place for Cincinnati.

Finally, a tip: the chic crowd arrives after the 7:45pm seating, so make your reservation late, ideally between Acts I and II of...

Troppo salato - which is rare for me to say. We started off our meal with the Veal ricotta meatballs, which I was so excited to try. This was my daughters first “fine”dining experience, and I wanted to start out with something familiar but different. Sadly, expectations were not met. The sauce was creamy, and rich with only one flavor and that was salt. I went searching for anything else to please my palate but the only thing that could, was my water. With some reservation we moved on to our main dishes. My daughter had the Tagliatelle Bolognese and I had the Homemade Crispy gnocchi, again we were both so excited. There is nothing better than fresh made pastas. Unfortunately, the let down continued. The only positive I would give the dish, is they cooked the pasta perfectly. The plating was also beautiful as well. I’m not sure if there was a heavy hand salting the food that night or not but the only flavors I could get out of either dish. Was salt. For the price of each meal I would expect better, if I wanted over salted sauce- I would have just cracked open a can of chef boyardee, because I’d expect nothing less from a 1.99 can of “Pasta”. I want to make excuses for it, because they were busy- it was very obvious. But when you are specifically going to a place for their Italian food and paying 20 plus per plate- overly salted food is not what you are expecting. I’m sure I could have said something, but our server was too busy paying attention to her other tables, and socializing with the kitchen staff. By the time dessert rolled around, I was almost terrified to order. But you certainly can’t over salt a dessert? Thankfully not, the via-misu was probably the saving grace of the whole experience. Although the 15 minute wait time for it felt a bit long, considering our other dishes came out so fast, this take on a classic was perfectly balanced and an absolute delight for my palate that had just been taken on a journey through the salt mines. In all honesty, I would never give this or any other of the restaurants Chef Cristian Pietoso has out there a second chance. If I wanted overly salted mediocre Italian food, I would have just gone to Olive Garden. At least there I know I’m destined to be disappointed, but at least they’ll act...

I had a really bad experience at Via Vite and felt completely disregarded as a guest. We arrived at 7:00 PM and were told there wouldn’t be a table available until 7:45 PM. That was fine—we agreed to wait. Since it was cold outside, we only stepped out for a quick 5-minute photo at Fountain Square and came right back to wait at the entrance.

During that time, we watched multiple groups—who arrived after us and also didn’t have reservations—get seated before us. Some were parties of four or more, while we were just a party of three. It made no sense. We stood there for nearly 30 minutes with no updates, while at least six other groups were taken to their tables. We were the only ones left waiting.

When I asked the host what was going on, her explanation was vague and dismissive. She claimed tables are assigned based on party size, but couldn’t explain why larger groups were seated before us. Another host jumped in and told me, with attitude, that we were “marked” for 7:45 and we’d be seated then—as if we hadn’t already been waiting patiently and silently the whole time.

I asked to speak to a manager. I made it clear I understand waiting when you don’t have a reservation. What upset me was the inconsistency, the lack of transparency, and the feeling that guests were being picked and chosen at random—or based on who the staff preferred. I asked whether those other groups had reservations, and the manager’s answer was vague and felt made up on the spot. The manager claimed that the other group had a reservation, but they clearly waited 20 minutes like us. If she’s telling the true, I guess people should be aware that you might have to wait 20 mins even if you have a reservation.

The only person who showed any professionalism was Abby, another host, who overheard the conversation and finally took us to a table and offered complimentary starters. Her kindness is the only reason I’m giving this review more than one star.

But overall, the service at the front was unprofessional and unwelcoming. If you’re going to make people wait, at least be fair and transparent about it. This experience left a really...