Vinny's at Night

Vinny's at Night Restaurant Review:

This curtained-off dining room is set in the back of Vinny's Superette, a Somerville convenience store and deli. The ceiling is painted with grapevines and there are fake vines that line the walls; plastic tablecloths sport red-and-white checks; and a map of Sicily fills one wall. It’s a true joint where guests dig the scene and like the hearty portions of robust Sicilian food. Most diners start with the self-serve antipasto table, a bountiful buffet laden with cheeses, olives, cold cuts, the occasional pizza, meatballs, caponata, arancini and potato croquettes. There are also pasta dishes, the best being those made with seafood --- like the spicy shrimp fra diavolo --- and local Sicilian expat specialties such as the celebrated pork sausages with rabe or braised lamb osso buco served over risotto. End the meal with homemade ricotta-stuffed cannolis; if that’s too heavy, try the tartufo ala lemoncello, a nice light dish of lemon gelato with a dash of lemoncello. The place can be boisterous, but that's part of the charm of one of the last old-fashioned Italian restaurants in town.