Vinnie’s Pizza great any way you slice it

Why: Vinnie’s Pizza brings the Coco family’s traditions to Ridgefield and downtown Vancouver. I recently visited the Vancouver restaurant for dinner. Vinnie’s welcomes family dining, and they have a bar for the 21-and-older crowd. The menu offers the staples of Italian fare along with Italian wines and rotating beers on tap.

What I tried: I tried the garden salad, lasagna, Mediterranean pizza and cannoli. I was going to try the spaghetti and meatballs, made with the Coco family’s recipe, but the restaurant was out of them at the time of my visit.

The salad was made with super fresh, delicious, dark-green varieties of lettuce topped with pepperoncinis, generously sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and fresh-grated Parmesan cheese. The balsamic dressing brought an appetizing and tangy sweetness to the salad.

The lasagna arrived in a serving-size baking dish, hot from the oven and accompanied by a few slices of garlic bread. Layered pasta, cheese, and meat sauce combined for a traditional Italian dish. The sauce was richly flavored with tomatoes slightly sweet, and the meat brought a heartiness to the lasagna. There was a generous amount of mozzarella that strung to every forkful from the dish. The garlic bread was petite, as compared to garlic bread at many other Italian restaurants, but I found it sufficient and tasty.

The first thing I noted about the pizza was the unusual addition of sliced, hard-boiled egg amid the sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke, Kalamata olives, feta cheese and freshly sliced garlic on the mild tomato-sauce base. The combination was very appetizing, and the eggs brought additional texture to the pie. I also noted the pleasant subdued flavor of the egg in the midst of the other very distinctive ingredients. The crust was of medium thickness, firm enough to hold up the toppings, and had just a hint of yeast in its flavor.

I found the cannoli to be a perfect, sweet and classic end to my dinner at Vinnie’s — one that I look forward to repeating on my next visit when I go back to try the spaghetti and meatballs.

Menu highlights beyond what I tried: The Vinnie’s Favorite pizza is topped with pepperoni, salami, Italian sausage, Canadian bacon, linguiça and beef. Elena’s Gourmet Pie sounded intriguing. It is topped with chicken, ricotta cheese, baked tomatoes, garlic and spinach. The Pasta Siciliana, made with green olives, onions, capers and garlic and saut?ed in marinara and tossed with penne, sounded delicious. Salad options include an arugula and prosciutto salad. Desserts include tiramisu, chocolate cake, spumoni ice cream and pizza dolce, which is pizza crust, warm from the oven, topped with Nutella and dusted with powdered sugar.

Atmosphere: The restaurant is situated on the northwest corner of Main Street and Evergreen Boulevard. Large, street-side windows and an elevated floor create a pleasant view from above street level. Sage green walls and weathered, wood-tone laminate flooring are understated in the dining room, where basic tables and chairs and a window-side counter provide seating. The bar is wrapped in light pine, which contrasts nicely with the darker shade of the dining room. The back bar is decorated with tile and attractively lit, adding pizzazz to the space. There also are a few tables paired with benches and chairs. Large-screen televisions provide entertainment.

Other observations: The waitstaff was friendly and very attentive, the restaurant was clean and pleasant, and the food was delicious.

The kitchen is in the back without a pass-through window, which does not really give it a presence in the restaurant. However, magic does take place in there.

Cost: Appetizers cost $5 to $12. Specialty pizzas are available in four sizes and range from $11 to $25. You may build your own pizza from 32 toppings, which each cost 50 cents to $2 depending on the size of the pizza. By-the-slice, cheese pizza costs $3, or you may add a maximum of three toppings for 25 cents each. Pasta dishes are $9 to $12. Sandwiches are $8 to $13. Salads are $5 to $11. Happy hour items cost $4 to $7. Desserts cost $2 to $10.