Food
| Recommended 
Warm and welcoming Sogno
01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, June 7, 2007
The pasta fagioli is full of hearty navy beans, with pancetta, tomatoes, celery, pasta and garlic.
THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL / Sandor Bodo Sandor Bodo
When Ezio Gentile served diners in his small restaurant in a three-room house on Cranston’s Mayfield Avenue, he dreamed of a larger place with a nice lounge. When the space at the corner of Dyer and Park avenues became available back in the fall, Sogno Ristorante & Bar was born.
Sogno (pronounced SO-nuh-yo) means dream in Italian, and it was the perfect name for Gentile’s new endeavor.
“Everyone in this industry has a dream,” he said.
For the past six years, Gentile was the most recent owner and chef at the Sunflower Café. But when he lost his lease, he took over the space formerly occupied by Casa Giovanni’s and introduced the new name, which better conveys his Italian menu.
For diners, his dream translates into a warm and welcoming eatery with some wonderful dishes offered at moderate prices. His new lounge offers bartender Heather Edge the opportunity to craft a variety of martinis to sip while perusing the menu of antipasti, insalata, pizzas, pastas and meat and fish entrées.
We enjoyed the very fresh Strawberry Dream Martini with Smirnoff, strawberry purée and sparkling wine; the bright, seasonal Mango Martini and the potent Flirtini with Chambord, sparkling wine and vodka (all $8).
The appetizers were a tempting lot, and we decided on three excellent choices: pasta fagioli, fried calamari and mussels zuppa. The pasta fagioli ($4.25) was chock full of hearty navy beans. Flavor burst from this dish with its pancetta, tomatoes, celery and tiny tube-shaped pasta. A rich chicken stock and just the right touch of garlic made it the perfect beginning course.
The calamari ($9.50) offered a large portion of batter crisp and tender rings. The white wine sauce had just enough garlic to add a spark to the parsley, oil and hot pepper blend. The mussels ($8) were served in a tangy marinara sauce that was just the right texture for dipping the excellent bread. The mussels were all cooked just right. Less successful was the Gamberi Fagioli ($9.50), a rather bland blend of otherwise nice shrimp and cannelloni beans.
Luscious was the Farfalle Del Sogno ($14), which I guessed correctly to be a house specialty. This pasta entrée with bowtie macaroni promised to be tossed with prosciutto, portobello mushrooms and leeks in a light cream sauce. Indeed the sauce was delicate and well-balanced; the Parma prosciutto the least salty, best tasting version of this imported Italian cured ham. The mushrooms were rich and meaty and welcome in nearly every bite. The seasoning is just lovely.
For meat lovers, the Scallopine All Valdostana ($17) offers a delightful combination of veal medallions topped with tasty prosciutto and mild fontina cheese. The veal was as tender as could be. A white wine demi-glaze was the perfect vehicle for the mashed potatoes. A zucchini and carrot blend was a bit overcooked for our taste.
The Gnocchi Alla Caprese ($17) has baked potato dumplings paired with slices of sautéed eggplant and fresh mozzarella in a plum tomato sauce. The sauce offered fresh basil and had a little sweetness that was most welcome. The gnocchi were quite fine and plentiful. But an eggplant fan might have expected more seasoning on the slices, and more slices for that matter, from the dish.
We barely scratched the surface of Sogno’s menu, which includes pizza, a variety of tempting chicken offerings and pasta and seafood dishes.
The wine list is small and familiar and moderately priced from $5 to $8.50 a glass. Californian selections dominate but there are several Italian selections and New World choices from Argentina and Chile.
Gentile makes his own tiramisu ($7), and there is no other dessert one needs when it is as nice as his interpretation. It’s light and offers very few lady fingers. It’s more like the trifle it was meant to be, with the accent on the creamy mascarpone and coffee flavors.
Like any congenial host, Gentile came by our table to greet us and to welcome us to his restaurant. We were well cared for by Eileen, our very attentive server. The décor is bright and simple, and Gentile said he hopes to add a fireplace and his own design touches soon. His dream, meanwhile, is progressing quite nicely.
Bill of fare
A dinner for two at Sogno might look like this:
2 martinis…$16
Bowl pasta fagioli…$4.25
Mussels zuppa…$8.00
Farfalle Del Sogno…$14
Scallopine Alla Valdostana…$17
2 glasses Cecchi Chianti…$12
Total food and drink…$71.25
Tax…$5.69
Tip…$14.25
Total…$91.19
Sogno Ristorante & Bar, 961 Dyer Ave., Cranston, (401) 946-3335, www.sognoristorantebar.com. Casual. Reservations. Free parking lot. Wheelchair accessible. Highchairs. AE, MC, V. Dinner served Tuesday to Sunday 4 to 10 p.m.; bar remains open later. Appetizers $4.25 to $14; entrées $14 to $26, with most under $20. Full liquor license and wines by the glass and bottle.
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