PANEVINO Kicks Off Bad Italian Food Review
Yes, it’s Friday food fans, and time for ELV’s Bad Italian Food Review. From this week forward, as a regular feature, ELV intends to single out the bad Italian food that infests our valley, every Friday on this website, right before he goes to Mass at his favorite worshiping place: Our Holy Mother of Perpetual Pasta Humiliation Church.
This week we feature Panevino, a restaurant that ELV savaged on KNPR many years ago (after five disastrous meals), and which he had avoided like the plague ever since. Today’s meal confirms why this decision was a good one.
Panevino takes itself very seriously as an Italian restaurant — everywhere but the kitchen. Prices are high ($102 for lunch for two with no booze), and the food is stunningly bad — from the puffy, Wonder-like tomato bread, to the bland (and monochromatic) Andreas salad to spicy tomato sauce with no spice to old, off mussels to an orcchiette pasta “special” in a cheese sauce containing no cheese, it is a restaurant that is an embarrassment to its mother country and the great cuisine that sprung from there.
It is supposedly owned by Italians, but like ELV always reminds people: Just because someone comes from a country (or has relatives who did) doesn’t mean they know the first thing about the food from there. What they usually know is what their mother made them — which may or may not have been well-conceived and cooked. One of our favorite anecdotes from Sirio Maccioni’s biography — Sirio – The Story of My Life and Le Cirque — is Sirio recalling Frank Sinatra constantly pestering him (and offering to teach him) to cook “real” Italian food — the kind of red sauce-drenched dreck that has led us to the proliferation of the Panevino’s of the world.
If cheese sauces with no cheese are your thing, and you like off mussels, barely flavored salads and sponge bread. Knock yourself out.
The rest of you have been warned.
PANEVINO RISTORANTE
246 Via Antonia Ave.
Las Vegas NV 89119
702.222.2400
Restaurant reviews, quips, picks and pans-with some seriously salivating history-from the man who eats his way through Sin City every day.
August 6th, 2010 at 2:38 pm
I agree however the Bruscetta and Cappuccino are good.
August 6th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
When you’ve had enough of our bad Italian restaurants give these two a try.
Siena Italian Bakery & Deli — 2250 E Trop
Roma Deli & Restaurant — 5755 Spring Mountain
Best,
Scott
P.S. You meant: “what their mother made them…”
August 6th, 2010 at 4:06 pm
Loved Pane, hated Vino. Or, was that, er, Ben-Hur.
August 6th, 2010 at 10:08 pm
I usually only go to Bartolotta now, with the occasional visit to B&B or CarneVino when I get the steak hankering. However, what I really wonder about with Panevino is how could such a great restaurant person like Vincenzo ( who used to GM Le Cirque) get mixed up with such a place. That guy was the best at Le Cirque and it pains me to see him here.
August 7th, 2010 at 7:05 am
Re Siena Deli, I went there the other day – or, I tried. It was gone! Anybody know if they moved elsewhere? But my fav Italian deli is Rocco’s on Buffalo & Charleston. Try their homemade fresh mozzarella.
August 8th, 2010 at 6:41 pm
I bought some french roll at siena deli the other day and it was crusty wonder bread.
I could be wrong but i think I tasted bleached white in there.
August 8th, 2010 at 7:17 pm
Love this review. ELV assumes there is that many bad Italian restaurants in town beforehand. He’s probably right.
August 10th, 2010 at 10:30 am
Nice….I look forward to your keen insight into the many BAD “Italian” restaurants here in Vegas…plus I like it when you sling dirt
August 11th, 2010 at 8:04 am
Shame Shame ELV
With great power (which you now command) comes great responsability.
Is making this column a “regular feature” really necessary? A lot of Mom and Pop places are struggling to survive. Do you really have nothing better to do with your fame and fortune than to go out looking to ruin someone’s little business.
You can do better ELV.
August 11th, 2010 at 8:36 am
ELV responds: Panevino is hardly a “Mom and Pop” place, nor will be the places I feature.
October 18th, 2010 at 9:03 pm
Have to completely disagree with the review…while it might not be like your corner family owned Italian Restaurant or a modern epicurean wonder. It certainly is consistently tasty and worth your business.
I have been to B&B and Bartolotta on several occasions and while they may win on style points B&B certainly does not win on taste and Bartolotta, while good, does not have the warm atmosphere or neighborhood feel you get from a nice restaurant like Panevino.
I think that the reviewer had an off night or maybe just does not like Panevino, but if you try the Pollo Bracia or the Risotto I promise you will not be disappointed next time.
February 12th, 2011 at 11:37 pm
I agree with diehardreb, I have had many meals at Panevino and have always had a good meal. I especially like the funghi risotto, which they make on request.