The restaurant itself is simple and cozy. Once seated, our water glasses were immediately filled and a gentleman I assumed to be the owner came to take our wine order. He gave us a wonderful background on the Barbaresco we selected while uncorking the bottle, poured our glasses, and set the bottle down behind us displaying the cork artfully in front of it. The red started the night off on a high note and we commented on the depth of the wine list in both choice and price.
Enoteca Sogno has a simple but enticing menu and our waiter added to it with a full list of specials for the night. Pasta is one of those foods that I could eat almost every day and fresh pasta is always such a treat. I selected the seared scallop, arugula, and reduced balsamic appetizer special, but couldn't decide between the pasta dishes. I asked our server which he liked best. His through descriptions of his top choices led me to the pesto. My husband (the more decisive one in the marriage) went for the fig, gorgonzola, and pancetta appetizer special and the sausage and rapini penne -side note: I now know that rapini is, in fact, broccoli raab-.
We received a pre-appetizer bread basket with extra-virgin olive oil and the appetizers themselves did not disappoint. My husbands figs were sweet and salty, while my scallops were cooked perfectly. The sear almost gave them a meaty taste that was really satisfying.
Dinner was equally as successful. I'm pretty sure it was the best pesto I've ever eaten. The sauce had almost a creamy texture on perfectly-cooked fresh tagliatelle. As for the sausage and rapini, I loved how the spiciness of the sausage and the broccoli raab permeated the tomato and marinara and ricotta sauce. It was such a satisfying dish (and my husband will tell you that the bread from the basket was the perfect vehicle for soaking up any remaining sauce).
Although we were pretty full, the meal was too good not to finish with a little dessert. Our waiter recited the three selections and we chose to split the tiramisu. Now, I typically find that tiramisu can be one of the most overdone italian desserts... and not in a good way. Too often it is soggy mess, doused with liquor and not the "pick-me-up" the name suggests. Enoteca Sogno's tiramisu was every bit a pick-me-up and one of the best I've had in a very long time. It was light and flavorful, without being overpowering. All of the ingredients were distinct and it was the perfect ending to our wonderful meal.
My only somewhat negative comment was that, even without a packed house, the dining room was a bit noisy. However, it was not overly distracting and nothing a little acoustic work couldn't fix.
We had a perfect date night and will be visiting Enoteca Sogno again. It might even end up being our go to when out-of-town guests come to visit Richmond!
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