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Naples Illustrated March 2007 Issue Written by Shawn Holiday

Dino Redzic adds a flair for the dramatic to his global Italian dishes. Dino Redzic has taken generations of cooking knowledge, plus exposure to some of the finest chefs into the world, and put them into his global Italian restaurants. Every meal is a kind of show at his newest restaurant, Dino’s in Mission Square Plaza, where the house salad is a hollowed plum tomato stuffed with greens. The beef, lamb, and veal sausages made by family members in New York are served sizzling hot with some dramatic flair, such as a rosemary sprig smoldering like incense.

For 300 years, his family has included butchers and chefs, making meals with as much drama and history as they have flavor. With his background, Redzic was confident in his abilities, but knew that there was much to learn in the vast pantry called America.

“I thought I knew it all until a little gentleman from Santa Fe cooked the best French meal I’ve ever had,” he says. “America is so gifted with fresh food. In Italy in February, you can only dream about fresh tomatoes.”

Born in Montenegro, he learned the trade from his parents who had a restaurant in Zurich for 30 years. After an apprenticeship in Europe, he ended up in New York, owning two restaurants there, Amici Amore and Butcher Bros. Steak House. He also worked at the James Beard Foundation, a place where self-taught cooks with a passion for food helped create a new generation of chefs. Redzic likes the Old World customs, where each village has its own tastes and seasonal changes dictate dishes.

“They don’t cook alike. If you’re in Sicily, the only meat you can have is goat because the area is all rock,” he says. In his attempt to duplicate a true Italian restaurant in America, however, there are some things he can’t replicate, like 2 p.m. closings. “Try that here,” he says. “You’ll go out of business. It’s just the pace of life.

” Redzic has adjusted to the pace of Naples, and now runs Dino’s, after opening Trattoria Dino Ristorante and Pizza Pizza on the East Trail, which have both become Donna’s Sports Pub. Dino’s is an ambitious undertaking, with scores of items on the menu, four to five fresh fish dishes daily, and his own fresh chives adorning each table. He likes to keep his staff on their toes by serving flaming tableside dishes that give an added flair in presentation. He admits that some specials are expensive to produce, but they bring in new clientele as well as keep his sophisticated regulars coming back. Even in the depths of summer, he caters to those who enjoy fine dining year round.

Early bird specials blend with a daily staff meeting, during which servers try the specials themselves. Redzic especially likes running the Chef’s Table, set up right next to the kitchen. “The biggest fear of any chef is when his product doesn’t move. It really hurts your pocket,” he says. “I love being in the dining room. You can reflect and see whether people are enjoying your food or not.”

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New York Times Review

Dino Redzic, the maitre d'hotel at the James Beard Foundation, is the man behind this cozy Italian spot in Astoria. Large portions of traditional fare are served amongst an exposed-brick decor. Specialities include sundried tomato ravioli, grilled Italian sausage with red-pepper couli and linguine with squid ink in a spicy tomato sauce.
 

Nations Restaurant News

A Day in the Life … James Beard House

Nation's Restaurant News , April 17, 2000 by Bret Thorn



The industry 'Carnegie Hall' provides a stage for culinary maestros to perform.

Many chefs who cook at the James Beard House say it is like their day at Carnegie Hall. Over the past 15 years, the New York-based foundation, the former home of James Beard, the late eccentric who often is credited with transforming the country's food scene, has become a major arbiter of what fine dining is in America. Chefs from throughout the world invited by the James Beard Foundation to serve a meal at the house spend thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, of dollars to fly in staff and food to perform for members and guests.

Having an actual house is a great asset, says foundation publicist Jeanne Wilensky. "You have a brand name. You have an identity." She says that is one reason why the house was able to oust the American Institute of Wine & Food from its position of preeminence in New York culinary circles.

The house itself is eclectic, with a bathroom covered wall-to-wall in mirrors, a dining room painted the color of Campbell's tomato soup, and an open shower facing the windows of Beard's greenhouse and the neighboring apartments. The kitchen is well-equipped for a home kitchen, but nearly every night it is used as a restaurant kitchen, as a different team of chefs prepares a meal of four to seven courses for about 80 people. With a permanent staff but an ever-changing array of visiting chefs, the house has developed a life of its own.Activity begins at around 9 a.m. as kitchen steward Jean Louis-Jacques arrives to assess the potential damage from the night before and determine what needs to be ordered for the day. Nothing needs to be repaired this morning, but this is the first day of the year that the house will be using air conditioning. So he discusses with other staff members how cool the house should be.

In the front-of-the-house, house steward Clay Triplette, who began working with Beard himself in 1959, begins preparing flowers, making use of leftover flora from the previous day's chef, Russel Siu of 3660 On the Rise and Kakaako Kitchen in Honolulu, to prepare vases of orchids and bright pink-and-yellow tulips.

Meanwhile, on the third and fourth floors, foundation staff members are working in their offices, coordinating future events and taking reservations.

With half an hour before the printer is due to pick up the proofs of the foundation's calendar, event coordinator Siobhan Haber is talking with a Seattle publicist to determine whether his client will cancel a scheduled appearance at the house later this year.

"No, I don't think you're crazy. It happens all the time," she says into the phone. "No, you don't have to strong-arm them. If they can't do it, they can't do it. The thing is I have about half an hour to get this to publications.

"I think they're going to stick," she says with measured confidence after hanging up.

Around noon a member of the kitchen staff, almost too stereotypically, brings up bottles of high-end sparkling water, a bucket of ice and stemmed water glasses.

Downstairs there's a lull. By 2p.m. the sommelier and two servers have arrived to begin setting up for the evening. The rest of the front-of-the-house staff will be there by 5. Maitre d' Dino Redzic will meet with them to go over the courses being served that day and the wine they'll be paired with and to discuss any of the chefs' special needs. Then the staff will get dressed and be ready for the 7 p.m. arrival of Beard Foundation members and guests.

Tonight the kitchen will be especially crowded: Chefs from six restaurants in New York's Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group will be performing. Each restaurant is responsible for a different course.

Jonathan Parker of the Manhattan Ocean Club is the first to arrive, at around 3:30, with sous chef Marc Gross-man. They're making the evening's fish course, and they begin preparing brown butter.

Parker has cooked at the house before--but not with five other chefs. "That should be something," he muses.

"I'm interested myself to know what it's going to be like," says Redzic, the maitre d', noting that the restaurants represented -- Cite, Park Avenue Cafe, Smith & Wollensky, Manhattan Ocean Club, Post House and Maloney & Porcelli -- are variations on steak houses. "It's interesting that nobody will be cooking steaks."

Fleetwood Mac is heard on the loudspeakers, and the staff sips on guava juice from the night before while setting up the table in the greenhouse where they will serve champagne during the 7-7:45 p.m. reception. The staff lounges in the newly reopened garden, chatting and flipping through a tattoo magazine.

Parker and Grossman wander out there around 5 p.m. and peruse the sweet wine from Gascony that will be served with the foie gras course being prepared by Cite's David Amorelli.

"I've toured the kitchen about 15 times," Parker quips. There's nothing for him to do but wait.

But by 5:45 the kitchen is hopping. Teams from four of the restaurants are there. Neil Murphy of Park Avenue Cafe, who with the restaurant's executive chef, David Burke, is responsible for hors d'oeuvre, hands a tray of beggar's purses to an assistant and hands a tray of biscuits to Amorelli.

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Naples Daily News

Trattoria Dino chef opens new location

Attention North Collier and south Lee county residents: You no longer have to travel to the East Trail for a taste of Dino Redzic's Italian cuisine.

Redzic, chef/proprietor of Trattoria Dino and Pizza Pizza at 3310 U.S. 41 E., just opened Dino's Restaurant at 1585 Pine Ridge Road in Mission Plaza. He and longtime partner Frank Aiche will continue to operate all three businesses.

Redzic and Aiche are offering a similar menu at the new location, along with homemade breads and pastas. bestselling dishes include Black Angus rib-eye in a cognac peppercorn sauce on a bed of Tuscany bread, herb rubbed and seared rack of lamb and ravioli stuffed with pumpkin in a butter sauce.

Something new is on the agenda, too. Redzic offers what he calls "the chef's table." It isn't in the kitchen but is close enough to catch the action. No menu is offered but interested diners should inquire about the fixed price for a seven to 10-course feast. Complementary wines will be available.

Unlike many places, dinner reservations are accepted.

Incidentally, lunch is served daily with picks starting at just $4.

Hours at Dino's are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Information: 594-1900.
 

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Awarded

Dining Out: Mama Mia! Great Italian dishes star at new Dino's

By L.G. Gordon

Friday, May 12, 2006

Despite the glut of Italian restaurants in this part of the world, very few are particularly good and even fewer are terrific. Four-month-old Dino's at 1585 Pine Ridge Road in Mission Square Plaza is an exception to the rule. It's the trattoria we've been waiting for — which really shouldn't be a surprise.

Chef/proprietor Dino Redzic looks deceptively youthful but boasts impressive credentials. A native of Montenegro on the Adriatic Sea, he has cooked his way around the world. After stints in Germany and Mexico, he overcame a language barrier (his English is now impeccable) and worked his way up to captain at the renowned Rainbow Room and Windows of the World in the Big Apple.

His resume also includes successful ventures in Astoria, Queens, and the coveted position of maitre d' at the prestigious James Beard House in Manhattan.

In the dead of summer 2003, he opened Trattoria Dino on the U.S. 41 East to positive reviews. Then, on Jan. 6, his second location in North Naples was born.

Based on a recent dining experience — from start to finish — Redzic has another hit on his hands.

On the surface, the bill of fare at the new place — actually, both restaurants — is simple and straightforward, much like a lot of menus around town. However, the chef throws in a few surprises and sticks with first-rate ingredients. The talent in the kitchen also makes even the most mundane traditional Italian dishes seem somehow new and exciting.

Virtually everything we sampled was executed impeccably and proved to be deeply satisfying, usually thanks to its combinations of flavors and textures. Even a bowl of classic, unpretentious pasta e fagioli ($5) stood out from the crowd. Although I thought it was a bit over-salted, the piping hot soup was thick with white beans, scented with fruity olive oil and garlic, and brimming with al dente tubetti pasta.

I dug in with enthusiasm, dipping into the basket of house-made warm, crusty bread served on the side.

My guest took a different route, deciding on a fancier appetizer: a trio of homemade sausages, one each of lamb, beef and veal ($10). When a waiter added a jolt of cognac, lit a match and flambéed the dish, oohs and aahs filled the room.

The artfully arranged plate also won raves from its happy eater.

"Even though the sausages were lean, because they were made without fat," my guest commented, "they were still tasty and juicy."

What else is available? When it comes to starters, diners can choose from plain to elegant, with choices including fried calamari, grilled octopus or shrimp, steamed mussels, beef carpaccio and several versions of bruschetta — even goose liver (rare on an Italian menu), made with James Beard's renown foi gras recipe.

The list of entrees is likewise impressive, with daily specials making it even more difficult to decide.

We chose one item from the regular menu and a special. Both were outstanding and came with choice of house salad or Caesar. Both salads, we discovered, were excellent. Instead of the usual tangle of greens — or, heaven forbid, iceberg — the restaurant serves a mix of fresh, dark lettuces peeking out of a cored plum tomato. Very pretty and original, with good house dressing.

My Caesar was also excellent, containing only a few really good croutons (instead of half a box of the cardboard kind). Although no anchovies were draped over the romaine, the dressing offered a hefty kick of anchovy paste. This was a grown-up salad, more authentic than most.

When it comes to entrees, take your pick. Lots of pasta choices come in under $20, or diners can go uptown with a meat or fish main dish. (Only two options fall in the high-$20s category, Chilean sea bass and filet mignon with sautéed spinach.)

My special, lobster ravioli with vodka sauce ($19.50), was delicious, a lovely mix of sweet lobster, creamy, a hint of distilled spirits adding a sophisticated touch. Serving size was generous, and my doggie bag made a nice lunch the next day.

On the other hand, my guest didn't leave a speck of his Gambheri Oreganate — or Shrimp with Oregano ($19) — which came with pasta on the side. (Often, when you order a seafood and pasta dish, you get little of the former and a lot of the latter. This isn't the case at Dino's.)

About 10 smallish shrimp decorated the plate, circled around a half-lemon in the middle. They were covered with a silky, smooth sauce and color of cream of tomato soup. It was a luxurious dish.

Not surprisingly, desserts were also perfect. We give the panna cotta ($5.50), an eggless vanilla cream custard with a berry sauce, a high recommendation. The vanilla, we were told, comes from Madagascar, which produces some of the world's best.

The lighter-than-air tiramisu ($5.50) is another best bet. Made from a family recipe, it's a delightful blend of espresso coffee and whipped mascarpone cheese.

My guest and I were lucky enough to enjoy these exceptional sweet treats with small glasses of complimentary homemade sambuca, the famous anise-flavored Italian liqueur. It put the stuff I buy in the store to shame.

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News Day

ITALIAN. Amici Amore I implies that there is another Amici Amore. Actually, there isn't another one - yet. But owner Dino Redzic, who also is maitre d' for the James Beard Foundation in Manhattan, has big plans.

He hopes to have more.

The 29-year-old Redzic, who is from Montenegro, a small country in southeastern Europe, first opened a meat market and grocery shop in Astoria.

Redzic is the executive chef at this spiffy spot, which is decorated with menus from chefs who have cooked at the Beard House.

Amici Amore is unusual in a couple of ways. Because Redzic also handles the wine for dinners at the Beard House, he has an impressive depth of knowledge and a wine list that shows it. It is unusual to find such carefully chosen wines from Italy, France and California in this neighborhood. Many are affordable, though some bottles are pricey.

The other thing that sets Amici Amore apart is the meat. Because of ties to Ljuljhami, the butcher business, Redzic is able to serve lamb chops and steaks at prices substantially below what you would pay in Manhattan or at a classy Queens venue: grilled shell steak is $16.95 at dinner, $14.95 at lunch, and rack of lamb fetches $17.95 at dinner, $16.95 at lunch. Plan to spend $5 or even $10 more than that elsewhere.

One of my favorite appetizers is carciofini, or baby artichokes, sauteed in lemon and olive oil with spinach. We also liked the garlicky base in a simple pasta e fagioli, but the pieces of pasta had not absorbed much of that fine flavor. The sauteed zucchini beneath a generous serving of grilled sausages was pleasing, but the sausages themselves were very dry. Mixed grilled vegetables, including portobello mushrooms and handsome yellow peppers, were fine, however. Fried calamari wore a pale breading and were slightly tough.

At lunch, a sandwich of bresaola, the dried beef, came with melted mozzarella on focaccia but was dry until we disassembled it and dunked the cut side of the bread in the olive oil that is always on the table. After that, the sandwich made a satisfying repast.

At dinner, veal shank, or osso buco, was superb, well-seasoned, and tender on a bed of mashed potatoes. The potatoes not to miss, however, are those dreamed up by Redzic's wife, Nej, and baked in layers with plenty of cream; the Nej potatoes come alongside grilled shell steak in a rich, deep brown gravy. The herb-crusted rack of lamb was excellent, though the sauce with it seemed to be exactly the same as that on the steak.

Another winning dish was black linguine made with squid ink and served in a spicy tomato-shrimp sauce. Pasta in a creamy vodka sauce was a good version of that oft-seen favorite.

Other pasta possibilities include such old-fashioned favorites as spaghetti with olive oil, garlic and red pepper and linguine with white clam sauce. Then there's fettuccine Bolognese, in meat sauce.

Our favorite among the desserts was lemon sorbet, but Italian cheesecake was a cut above average, too.

Never mind that Amici Amore isn't the right grammar, according to my friend who teaches Italian. The Redzics are doing a lot right. And there's valet parking (meaning they find you a parking space on the street), besides.

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Dinos Restaurant & Catering - In the News

Dino's Restaurant Opens in North Naples

Chef and restaurateur, Dino Redzic, already the proprietor of two well-known South Naples eating establishments, Trattoria Dino Ristorante and Pizza Pizza, has opened Dino's Restaurant in the new Mission Square Plaza on Pine Ridge Road, a quarter-mile east of where Goodlette and Pine ridge roads intersect. With his longtime business partner, Frank Aiche, he will continue to operate both the new restaurant and the existing ones in Courthouse Shadows in East Naples.

Redzic is not new to the world of fine cuisine. He is a well-known New York chef, host of the James Beard Society Chef Dinners there, as well as the owner of two New York restaurants, Amici Amore, and Butcher Bros. Steak House, and an ethnic butcher shop in New York, where his staff, under the watchful eyes of two of his many brothers make superb sausages, which are shipped from New York daily to be used in some of his dishes here.

At Dino's Restaurant, Menu items are thoughtfully prepared in traditional ways, improving those “expected” tastes in ways that make them truly delicious. A great example is the addictive Sauce Bolognese - meat sauce in most parlances. Instead of just using ground beef, Dino makes his from a combination of ground beef, veal, and Proscuitto, and it is so good it is almost sweet. The sausages, previously mentioned, come in a set of three kinds – beef, veal, and a combination of those two and lamb – incredible, as a flaming appetizer.

Dino's makes their own bread and pastas. Just one example is Orecchiette con Rappini (elephant ear-shaped pasta with broccoli rabe and that great sausage, again). In addition, Dino's serves up amazing veal, lamb, chicken, steaks and especially seafood, like their Chilean Sea Bass, Snapper and Grouper. At the new location Dino will be offering daily seafood specials that may include Dover Sole filleted tableside, Salmon Cartoccio, baked in parchment, or Mahi-mahi with lemon butter sauce.

Dino will also compliment the menu with meat and pasta specials, like a fantastic Black Angus rib eye steak in a cognac peppercorn sauce on a bed of Tuscany bread, or herbal rubbed and seared rack of lamb, or Scungili Speziale( baby conch) with garlic, served on a bed of linguine, or ravioli stuffed with pumpkin in a butter sage sauce, and an appetizer of golden fried Calamari with wilted arugula, chopped red onion in spicy tomato sauce, a great item to share.

With a soup and appetizer menu ranging from traditional pasta fagioli soup, to carpaccio, to the ever-popular calamari fritti, to stuffed clams, to mussels in marinara sauce, plus the aforementioned flaming sausages, the appetizers are creative and delightful. Like me, you might not be partial to Tiramisu, but after Dino presents his to you, you just might become a convert. That also goes for the Pannacotta (a flan-like custard), New York-style cheesecake, and a fantastic Dino's innovation, chocolate pizza, all homemade, of course.

One more new addition to Dino's Restaurant will be what he calls the Chef's Table. At this table the chef, Dino, himself, will select what you are going to eat or drink. This is a dream come true for Mr. Redzic, finally He will share his expertise in cooking and wine with Neapolitans and theirs guests. 7 to 12 courses will be served. Table will be used one time per evening so that you can take your time enjoying World class Fine food and wine pairings . Advance reservations are needed.

With food like this in the neighborhood, are you beginning to feel like you made the right decision when you moved to the North End? From the perspective of quality, it matches anything you'll get on Fifth Avenue, but the surprise is that the prices are 40-50% less! For example, the price for Long Island duckling in a in a raspberry sauce is $21.50, or veal scaloppini with mushrooms is $22.00, and delicious Osso Bucco with risotto is $23.50, or a traditional penne pasta in sauce Bolognese for $16.00, and all of them come with Mixed Greens or a Caesar Salad, vegetable and pasta at no extra charge. This selection and pricing, by the way, will continue to be the same for the South Naples location for those who live downtown or on the East Side.

A couple could very easily each have an entree, with included salad and vegetable or pasta, plus coffee and dessert for a total of $50.00. Compare that to the many pricier, totally ala carte restaurants in Naples and you'll see what a bargain Dino's is, while still providing the finest cuisine and very personal service.

Now, let's talk wine. Unlike any of his competition, anywhere in this town, in addition to a fine reserve list with some very special wines, Dino scoops everybody, again, by offering 50 different bottles of wine under $30.00 each. That's just the beginning. He also hosts a weekly wine tasting dinner, featuring an hour at the open bar, followed by a seven course dinner, each course paired with a different wine, and all for only $70.00 per person! Unlike some of Naples other dining establishments, Dino's takes reservations, year-round too, so if you call in advance you'll be able to be served, promptly, even in Season.

Happy Hour 2-for-1 drinks at Dino's Restaurant, Trattoria Dino, and Pizza Pizza are available year round at the bar as well as at tables. This is the way Dino's thanks locals for their continuous patronage.

Lunch is also served at the new Dino's Restaurant. From pasta fagioli at $4.00, to pannini at $6.50 -$8.00, to pastas from $7.00- $10.00 and chicken dishes served with pasta at $9.50, the mid-day meal can be a gourmet experience on a casual lunch budget!

Dino offers catering at all of his restaurants. On and off premise catering is available with fantastic menu selections or Mr. Redzic can draft a menu for you with your budget in mind. No event is too big or small for Dino's, Trattoria Dino Ristorante or Pizza Pizza.

Is your mouth watering for the finest cuisine, but your wallet and traffic in Season telling you to stay home? Now your palate, your wallet and your gas tank will be very satisfied when you walk out happy from dining at the new Dino's Restaurant, Trattoria Dino Ristorante or Pizza Pizza!

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