Hallmarks at Taverna Sorrentina include artful presentations and modern Italian flavors.
Sam Faleafine
It’s hard not to feel like a VIP at Taverna Sorrentina. Between the Mediterranean blue-and-white-covered patio, a sleek gold-and-glass interior, and warm Italian-born hospitality, this downtown Danville restaurant is designed to please. Part of that enthusiasm comes from the owners themselves, who are thrilled to finally have a place of their own.
Valerio Piscopo, Giovanni Della Peruta, and Rosario Mazzocchi were all born and raised in the Naples–Amalfi Coast region of Italy—where the restaurant’s namesake, Sorrento, is also located—and worked together for years at nearby Locanda Ravello. They had been looking to open their own place and jumped at the opportunity to take over the former Isola Osteria site when proprietor Angelo D’Alo decided to close it last year to care for his ailing parents. The trio brings first-time-owner spark to the space, where they can be seen happily buzzing around the dining room to check in on customers. They also put their own unique spin on things. Whereas Isola seemed more rooted in the old-school Sicily of D’Alo’s parents, Sorrentina reflects a flashier, modern side of the Italian culinary coin. That has its pros and cons. The new concept feels more lively, while the food is perhaps less personal.
Diners can expect well-executed pasta dishes and bright salads.
Sam Faleafine
But there’s no question it’s a fun place to be. During our visit on a Tuesday evening, the restaurant hummed with energy, both on the patio and in the interior dining room. The latter offers a cozy, intimate atmosphere despite its glitzy makeover, thanks in part to pristine acoustics—which is important given the smoke and fire that seemed to erupt all around us. Piscopo says the team drew inspiration from restaurants in Naples and Miami that emphasize theatrical food and drink presentations; diners can expect flame-filled tableside preparations of pasta and steak, along with drinks like the Affumicato, a play on an old-fashioned with whiskey, orange bitters, and Italian Amarena. The cocktail is presented in a glass cloche filled with cherry wood smoke that billows out, Harry Potter–style, when opened. Fans of such theatrics should definitely order the cacio e pepe. It’s prepared on a tableside cart in which al dente mezzi rigatoni is whisked with pecorino cheese and mixed into a wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano that’s then lit on fire. Add several cranks of freshly ground pepper, and the result is a cheesy, peppery pasta lover’s dream come true.
Showstopping cocktails are crafted with an Italian spin.
Sam Faleafine
“We want to give a little bit of a show,” explains Piscopo. “People can eat anywhere, but it’s not everywhere they can have fun.”
He further describes the restaurant’s culinary approach as “taking something traditional and giving it a contemporary twist.” That fits another pasta dish, the Genovese di pollo, to a T. Inspired by a traditional Neapolitan pasta that uses a base of olive oil, tomato, and onions, Sorrentina heavily amplifies the latter ingredient. A heaping sweet base of caramelized onions with braised chicken ragu lies hidden beneath corkscrew pasta that’s topped by a huge dollop of stracciatella, the creamy interior of fresh Burrata cheese. Our waiter recommended mixing the whole thing together, which we dutifully obeyed, resulting in a near-liquid consistency that reminded me of an Italian version of French onion soup. It was unlike any pasta I’ve tried, and those with a penchant for sweet with their savory will love it.
The lunch menu includes zingara Sorrento, a panini with turkey, spinach, and fresh mozzarella.
Sam Faleafine
For entrées, we opted for the brasato alla Taverna, a generous portion of short rib slowly braised in Barolo wine that’s encircled by roasted carrots, broccoli, and crispy grated potatoes. It’s beautifully presented with the menacingly dark meat contrasted against a green base, and the short rib is tender and rich—so rich, in fact, that it completely overpowers any lightness from the pureed mint-pea sauce beneath it.
Appetizers, on the other hand, are more traditional. A spot-on classic Caesar salad was big enough to enjoy among four diners. The arancini consisted of oversize balls of risotto fried to golden perfection and filled with tomato sauce and melted mozzarella. What’s not to like?
Similarly, the fried calamari and gulf prawns was ample, fresh, and perfectly satisfying when squeezed with lemon and dipped into one of the two accompanying aioli sauces. In some ways, we enjoyed our starters the best, their straightforward simplicity providing a nice balance to Sorrentina’s flashiness. Another grounding and endearing element is the owners’ earnest enthusiasm for turning their lifelong dream into a reality in a city where they’ve worked for many years.
Complete your meal with a rich cuore caldo for dessert.
Sam Faleafine
“We’re so excited. For us, it’s like winning the lottery,” says Piscopo. “A lot of people believe winning the lottery is just about money, but we believe it’s [about] being able to do what you love. And for us, the best place to do that was Danville, where we know so many people. We can’t ask for much more than that.” tavernasorrentina.com.
Dining and Cooking