Clawson, MI - I always look for a locally owned restaurant and one in which cares about their community and environment. My friends took me to an Italian restaurant that is just that, called Due Venti. They purchase their food from local farmers and purchase organic when they can. Their passion for their food comes out in their presentation of the dishes, but also in the flavor and execution. These are all the dishes we shared, I hope you enjoy and take the time to make it out to Due Venti.


We started with the Fritelle Ripiene de Cavolflore, cauliflower cakes. They are pan fried in olive oil, have a hint of garlic for some extra flavor, and then served with tomato caponata and a garlic-herb aioli. Make this dish part of your repertoire. Don't miss this one. The aioli sauce highlights the cakes very well.

I am a garlic lover. I would put garlic in anything, so when we had the opportunity to have Zuppa Dell'aglio, garlic soup, I wasn't going to pass the opportunity. This is a garlic and sage housemade vegetable broth, topped with mozzarella and apple crostini. It didn't have as much garlic flavor as I was hoping, but for those casual garlic lovers, it would be perfect for you.

I ordered the Tortella di Carciofi, vegetarian ravioli. It is handmade white wine pasta filled with artichokes, carrots, garlic, pecorino, basil, and mascarpone cheese, tossed in a brown butter sauce and topped with shaved pecorino. The pasta is down-right delicious when it's made from scratch. The sauce compliments the pasta very well and I left nothing on this plate!

This is Torta della Melenzana, baked eggplant. If I could have changed my dish through the dinner, I would have changed it to this one. I tried this and really didn't want to return to my own. It is eggplant, layered in a tomato sauce, caciocavallo cheese, and topped with an egg and cream custard. Even though it is much heavier than the pasta dish, the flavor is very sophisticated and delicate at the same time. It's able to deliver the individual flavors of each component without being to heavy. This is one of the best dishes that night.

Lastly, we tried the Pesci Crostosi con Pistachio, sea bass. It is pistachio crusted sea bass, pan seared and served with a citrus butter, sauteed zucchini, garbanzo beans, mint, and crumbed goat cheese. This was my least favorite. The sea bass was prepared and seasoned well, but it was a very weak flavor. It didn't have enough impact as the other dishes. Standing alone, I thought it was good, but in comparison, it fell short. The vegetables on the side tasted very well though with the sauce, mint, and cheese.

Enjoy!