Vespaio -- Trendy Italian Restaraunt on South Congress

Vespaio is housed in a an up old storefront with lots of exposed brick and glass in the trendy SoCo (South Congress) district of Austin. One of the things I love about the place are it's appetizers--huge plates of calamari, a tomato salad with soft mozarella cheese made on site. Last visit I had linguini with clams--delicious. In the past, I've tried their wood fired pizza, and even a nice thick steak. I generally prefer indulging in the appetizers over their desserts--their appetizers are unusual, the desserts while good can be had elsewhere.

Good service and great food combine to make this one of the places I always take out of towners. Just be warned the waits can be long and the bill is easy to run up (especially with a couple of bottles of wine).

Vespaio, 1610 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704-3522, Phone: (512) 441-6100