Ristorante Don Giovanni Ristorante Don Giovanni (May 20, 2005)

A Mediterranean favorite keeps up the good work

By Elaine M. Rowland

A fixture on Castro Street, Ristorante Don Giovanni has a loyal following thanks to reliably good Italian food and attractive Mediterranean styling.

Early on a Friday night, when the main drag is bustling with activity, you'll find businessmen here in Silicon Valley uniform -- khakis and button-downs -- discussing data sources and network applications. It's not surprising, given the restaurant's capacity for corporate functions (including a large banquet room and A/V facilities), but you'll also see casually dressed neighborhood regulars, back for their favorites. Later on, when the lights inside Don Giovanni's drop low, the be-seen couples start to trickle in.

This range of customers proves just how inviting the restaurant is. With its squash-colored walls accented by painted grape vines and framed art, there's enough dнor to keep the cavernous dimensions of the dining room from feeling like a concert hall. You can dine indoors or out. There's a back patio with heat lamps, but we chose the slightly noisier dining room, through which a pair of musicians strolled for a little while, playing accordion and guitar. If strolling musicians make you wince, rest assured these weren't obtrusive or cheesy. Just pleasant.

We waited only briefly at the small bar before a table opened up, giving us time to order Perry Creek's ZinMan ($7) from a list of otherwise very recognizable wines by the glass. This robust zinfandel has lots of blackberry, not too much oak, and -- together with its dry bite -- holds its own against hearty Italian flavors.

Meals start with a basket of mild sourdough that's a little chewy and only discreetly sour, but it doesn't really matter: It's a vehicle for Don Giovanni's lovely oil and vinegar dip. Olive oil and balsamic vinegar are mixed with fresh slivered basil and enough garlic to gently roast your taste buds, for an appetizer that bites back.

The menu offers plenty of classics and lesser-knowns to choose from, so you won't feel lost or bored, and is supplemented with nightly specials. Prices are reasonable, especially for the pasta. We had Grigliata Mista di Vegetali ($8.95), a beautiful array of marinated, grilled vegetables including artichokes, firm summer squash (zucchini and yellow), lightly crunchy bell peppers, and perfectly prepared eggplant. It's usually easy to identify eggplant in a recipe: it's the seal-brown mush on the plate. But when it's hard to tell apart from mushrooms -- as it was here -- that's good eggplant. The grilling brought out real depth in the vegetables, which balanced the sharpness of the marinade.

Our second antipasti was the Grigliata di Polenta ($7.95), a creamy quiet dish of mushrooms and wine sauce over polenta, topped with large chunks of feta cheese. It looked attractive, but might be easier to eat with crumbled feta instead of chunks.

Though the restaurant was busy, our entrees arrived quickly. Service was attentive and helpful throughout, and didn't leave us wanting for anything -- not even freshly grated parmesan. The Saltimbocca di Vitello ($18.95), a thin slice of veal layered with prosciutto and seasoned with sage, was dressed with a wine reduction and came with broccoli and creamy garlic mashed potatoes sides.

A savory and good combination, but I actually preferred the Rigatoni con Salsiccia ($12.95) from the pasta menu. This tube pasta with grilled, sliced sausage had a fiery tomato sauce full of bell peppers, onions, and presumably red pepper. But it wasn't Sichuan-hot, so don't be put off if you usually avoid spicy. It had a good balance of flavors and the sausage didn't battle with the sauce for attention.

Since there's always room for dessert (at least one, anyway) we ordered Raspberry Almond Torte ($5.95), which was more like marzipan than cake, but lighter and less intense than marzipan. It was set atop a decorative lattice of tangy raspberry sauce with a dollop of raspberry puree, and tasted as good as it looked. Other desert choices include amaretto cheesecake, tiramisu, gelato, and for a lighter finish, seasonal berries.

On a weekday, the lunch crowd is again largely business types, from upper management lunching indoors to al fresco engineers at the sidewalk tables out front. I started with the small Minestra di Vegetali ($3.50). It wasn't bad, but because the other dishes I'd had were well seasoned and cooked to the right consistency, the soup was disappointing. It tasted dull like it'd been on the stove too long, with sodden onions and squash, and arrived at a tepid temperature.

The pasta was a definite improvement: Gnocchi alla Piemontese ($9.50), or potato dumplings in a tomato sage sauce, were some of the best gnocchi I've ever had. Great gnocchi that's light and tender (almost creamy) is not easy to find, and will taste more like a steamed dumpling than a pasta. Its evil twin, Bad Gnocchi, shows up more often. (You know it by its heavy consistency and doughy taste.) A lighter tomato sauce might be a better complement to these gnocchi since they're so fluffy, but I still liked the dish. And the large portion made a filling lunch.

Despite a few flashes of average, Don Giovanni serves very good dishes, and that's why it still draws in the customers after years on the strip. I haven't tried the winemaker's dinners here (around $45, with vineyards such as J. Lohr and BV), but would consider them for the fun of pairing good food with good wine in a convivial atmosphere.
DINING NOTES: Ristorante Don Giovanni Cucina Italiana 235 Castro St., Mountain View, (650) 961-9749, www.dongiovannis.com Hours: lunch Monday-Friday 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; dinner Monday-Thursday 5 to 10 p.m.; Friday-Sunday 5 to 11 p.m. Reservations: yes Credit cards: yes Parking: public lot in rear Alcohol: yes Takeout: yes Banquets: yes Outdoor seating: yes Noise level: Moderate Bathroom cleanliness: Decent

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