In May of 2020, Dawn Wilson stood on the cusp of realizing her dream for her restaurant, Vicini Pastaria (1916 Park Avenue, 314-827-6150). Though she'd formally founded the brand in 2016 while working as a personal chef in Chicago, Vicini's roots went back even further — nearly a decade and a half — to her decision to quit her job as a molecular genetics research scientist and pursue her passion for cooking. It had been a long time coming, but as she prepared to welcome her first guests into her Lafayette Square storefront that May, she felt that she had finally brought to life the neighborhood pasta and prepared foods shop that her mind's eye had pictured for all those years.
But, in an instant, it came to a screeching halt.
That May, just two days after Vicini Pastaria's soft opening, Wilson was in a serious car accident that left her with a debilitating head injury. Knocked completely out of commission for five months, Wilson thought she'd be able to gradually return to her chef duties, only to find that her healing progress was non-linear, characterized by setbacks that prevented her from opening Vicini at full capacity. Though she ran the Lafayette Square storefront as a gourmet foods and handmade pasta shop, it wasn't until this past November that she was able to fully launch Vicini as the Italian-inspired neighborhood spot it was meant to be.
When you step inside Vicini, you understand why Wilson was determined to hold onto that dream. More than just an entrance, the restaurant's door is a portal that transports you to the sort of neighborhood pasta and grocery shop you'd find in an Italian village. The space is positively gilded, adorned in square metallic tiles, stained glass and vintage decor that nods to both Venice and Tuscany. The former's opulence is evident in the form of an immense crystal chandelier that hangs over the dining room, a breathtaking piece that sets the tone for the meal that is to come.
Settling into one of the mismatched upholstered chairs surrounding one of Vicini's large wooden communal tables and soaking in the Italian ambiance, you can feel Wilson's love for the Old Country. Though she'd always loved cooking and embraced the fundamentals of Italy's slow food movement, her interest in its food culture turned into a bona fide passion once she went there to learn about its cuisine a few years after becoming a chef. There, she worked in a slow food kitchen in Colle di Val d'Elsa in Tuscany, where she learned the art of handmade pasta and classic Italian cooking, all the while soaking in the beauty of the country's relaxed, relationship-centered approach to dining. Should she have a restaurant of her own one day, Wilson thought, it would exist to bring that sort of food culture to the states.
Lafayette Square, where she settled down after moving back home to St. Louis in 2017, has proved to be the perfect space to set up shop. With a neighborhood feel in which everyone knows their neighbors, the area reminds Wilson of life abroad — a perfect setting for a dining experience that is just as quintessentially Italian. Set up like a gourmet lunch counter, Vicini offers its diners a small but mighty menu filled with such classics as Castelvetrano and Cerignola olives; caper berries marinated in orange and lemon juice spiked with garlic, chiles and rosemary; and lemon balm plucked from Wilson's herb garden.
Even more refreshing is Vicini's insalata di finocchi e arance, a delightful melange of shaved fennel, sliced cara cara oranges, red onion, olives, capers and mint set against a backdrop of peppery arugula. The sweetness from the juicy orange slices and zest counter the peppery, briny pop from the other ingredients, activating the palate for the richer courses to come.
Those include Vicini's raison d'etre: handmade pasta that makes you throw down your fork and make a pact with yourself that you will never again eat the mass-produced stuff that comes out of a box. Such a revelation comes courtesy of Wilson's signature noodle, pici, which is a painstakingly hand-rolled pasta that's akin to a thicker, more rustic spaghetti. On any given day, Wilson will use the pici as a base for different sauces; on my visit, she had it prepared in the classic Roman cacio e pepe style, which paired the noodles with pecorino Romano cheese, cracked black pepper and olive-oil-toasted breadcrumbs. I cannot decide which is more striking, the haunting marriage of funky cheese and black pepper or the pici's glorious, chewy mouthfeel — a texture you rarely get outside the motherland.
The day's pasta special, spaghetti all'Amatriciana, is no less spectacular. Here, Wilson's flawlessly cooked handmade spaghetti noodles are slicked with mouthwatering guanciale and chile-infused tomato sauce that brought me so vividly back to a sidewalk cafe in Trastevere that I nearly wept.
Sandwiches, too, are evocative of the Italian culinary experience. The Classico pairs silken Volpi prosciutto with juicy campari tomatoes, pesto, fior di latte mozzarella, fresh basil and arugula. Syrupy balsamic di Modena gives a backbeat of gentle sweetness to this masterpiece. The Picante is equally delicious, layered with spicy sopressata and capicola, fontina cheese, tomato pesto, marinated eggplant, Calabrian chiles and artichoke-olive crema, all conspiring to make a dish that is both mouth-tingling and decadently gooey at the same time.
Both sandwiches are anchored by Vicini's Tuscan-style focaccia, a bread masterpiece that has a delicate golden crust and pillow-soft interior. Though it pairs beautifully with the Classico and Picante, I found myself just as smitten while simply dipping it in Wilson's outstanding pesto, or even some Sicilian olive oil with a sprinkle of freshly shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.
Noshing on such a simple pleasure, you understand Vicini is not just Wilson's dream realized — it's our Italian fantasy, too.
Vicini 's lunch counter is open Mon. 11:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.; Fri.-Sun. 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. (Closed Tues.-Thurs.)
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