Dino's Trattoria...
A restaurant with a plan
By Brian Cronin Contributing Writer

PHOTO/BRIAN CRONIN Owner and head chef Dino Ferretti and bar manager Laura Rossi

Marlborough -- Dino's Trattoria in Marlborough opened in January and is providing the local community what its owner, Dino Ferretti, hoped it would. Ferretti summed up his plan for a successful restaurant.

"Casual, comfortable and fairly priced with good food," Ferretti said. "We take a lot of pride in what we do here. Everything is made to order."

Based on my dining experience, I can say, he has successfully executed his plan.

Dino's, located at 277 Main St., is a 3,000-square-foot restaurant with a 120-person seating capacity. It off ers casual décor and subtle lighting, with ample room to move between tables for both staff and customers. The bar is large enough to serve as both a comfortable lounge for those waiting or as a dining area for those who like to socialize.

Hoping to get a more in-depth feel for the operation, I sat at Dino's bar and was served by Laura Rossi, the bar manager. She immediately greeted me with a genuine smile, her name and then took my drink order.

Dino's offers a full bar with a specialty martini menu and a balanced wine list that offers more than 20 red and white wines by the glass and bottle. Its glass prices range from $4.95 to $8.95, with the by-the-bottle prices following suit at $13 to $30. Always a good indication of an owner's attitude toward pricing, his wine list was true to his plan.

Before I had even finished looking it over, Laura quickly returned with my soda, a menu, fresh bread and olive oil.

Dino's has a large menu composed primarily of Italian dishes with a smattering of American dishes and French fare. For starters, he offers 12 appetizers, four soups and a choice of five salads, not one more than $9.95. He offers seven pasta dishes all served with focaccia made from scratch, not one exceeding $11.95. His 19 entrees were divided evenly among chicken, beef and veal, and sea food. The most expensive offering, the sauté shrimp Andrea is priced at $14.95.

Dino's also offers a variety of sandwiches and burgers priced from $5.50 for a cheeseburger club to $9.95 for hand-breaded veal cutlet parmigiana. Closing out the regular menu is a five item children's menu with nothing over $5.95.

Dino's also offers a similar lunch menu with reduced prices for smaller portions, a catering menu for corporate events and a Sunday brunch with nothing above $9.95.

I ordered the sautéed chicken tenderloin primavera and waited, comfortable in my surroundings.

Laura brought me a very large-portion entree, heaped high with perfectly sautéed vegetables (broccoli, tomatoes, two types of squash, onions and capers), all possessing the tender firmness that captures the essence of sauté. And piled high on a bed of al dente spaghetti were four large tenderloins steeped in a light but flavorful sauce.

Overall, I was extremely impressed with the quality, the portion size and the freshness of ingredients and can say that to pay less than $20 for a dining experience like this is rare. But thanks to Dino's plan I am confident that this is possible for anyone at Dino's Trattoria.

Dino's Trattoria is open Monday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to midnight and Sunday from noon to midnight.