An outing to see The Nutcracker Fantasy at the State Theater presented a lovely opportunity to try Vincent's Heures Joyeuses! If you click the link to the menu, you'll notice the prices are stellar.
Service at Vincent is, as mentioned before, top-notch. Happy hour there is no exception. The bar area was busy, but there was no wait for a table. The bar does offer some creative cocktail options in addition to the USD 3 wine and beer selections available.
We split a "Vincent Burger", fries, Chicken a la Plancha (chicken morsels), and duck pate. Despite our both having prodigious appetites, we were not able to finish it all. The fries were simple, perfect, and enough to cover four people as a side. The chicken morsels were also good, but not particularly special. We both loved the duck pate, her because it reminded her of something her mother made, myself because I love a good duck pate.
The burger was the phenom though. I had always meant to have one, and it did not disappoint. The burger itself is made of ground beef, short ribs, and gouda cheese. It comes "California" style with lettuce, tomato and onion. It is sublime. It is everything anyone ever wanted a burger to taste like. Mind you, this is coming from a person who typically likes burgers with some combination of Sriracha sauce, fried egg, bacon, peanut butter, mushrooms, bleu cheese, etc. It's absolutely mystifying how every bit manages to capture every flavor while keeping a perfect balance. Not too greasy, a whiff of char, words cannot describe it - it is an absolute must try. The only way I can sum it up is this: one of the best chefs in Minnesota created a damned burger and slapped his name on it.
If I lived or worked closer to Vincent's I would be at their happy hour multiple times a week. On a budget, between four people, two burgers and a plate of fries would probably do. That's USD 25 after tip. You'll be inspired to tip well, because the service is attentive down to actually properly plating a split burger.
Website: http://vincentarestaurant.com/
Showing posts with label French. Show all posts
Showing posts with label French. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Restaurant Week 2008 Wrap-Up
Bottom line is, I failed on this one by not doing it sooner. In fact, we're back-logged in general. Anyway, we went to Masa on Thursday and D'Amico Cucina on Friday. Both were fantastic. Here's what I can remember:
Masa: Food and service were superb. Portion sizes were surprisingly generous. Drinks were the best around - fresh margaritas and mojitos. At a later visit, the bartender taught us the secrets of making a good mojito.
D'Amico Cucina: Food was good, service was absolutely stellar.
Restaurant Week 2009 is only a few months away. We're going to try to keep this up better in general.
Links:
http://www.mspmag.com//
http://www.damico.com/frame.asp?s=visit&ss=cucina&ft=d
http://www.masa-restaurant.com/
Masa: Food and service were superb. Portion sizes were surprisingly generous. Drinks were the best around - fresh margaritas and mojitos. At a later visit, the bartender taught us the secrets of making a good mojito.
D'Amico Cucina: Food was good, service was absolutely stellar.
Restaurant Week 2009 is only a few months away. We're going to try to keep this up better in general.
Links:
http://www.mspmag.com//
http://www.damico.com/frame.asp?s=visit&ss=cucina&ft=d
http://www.masa-restaurant.com/
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Restaurant Week Part 2: Vincent - A Restaurant (dinner)
DISCLAIMER: Since I am writing this a few weeks after, my memory of each meal's ingredients may not be perfect.
Part 1
Wednesday brought us back to Vincent - A Restaurant for dinner. Seating was seamless, as it was for past visits. For those of you who have not been and plan on going, be aware that Vincent is one of those rare restaurants in existence that will offer a black napkin in place of a white one if it will blends better with your clothing and doesn't leave other-colored lint. It's a slightly pretentious, slightly amusing touch that often confuses people. At any rate, our server was professional and chatty, which was nice since we had to wait a few moments for the rest of our party to arrive.
We had a 2006 Monmousseau Vouvray, one of our house favorites. For some reason it tasted better than any bottle I've ever had in a store. Perhaps it was just affected by our mood. Our server took care to keep it in an ice bucket while we waited for our party to arrive.
After the rest of our group arrived, bread arrived swiftly, along with our first course. The choices were between the Ezilda soup, or Le Grande Salad. Most in our party had the wonderful signature soup, one of our party chose the salad, and while he commented that it was one of the better salads he had ever had, he also remembered that one doesn't make friends with salad.
The second course was a choice between seared sea scallops with leeks and fingerling potatoes with an orange sauce or beef tenderloin medallions with sun-dried tomatoes, chickpea fries, and a tarragon sauce. The scallops set a standard for many of us, that is, one of our party stated that the meal had "ruined scallops" for him since any scallop thereafter would be inferior. I was also impressed with the dish as a whole, the leeks and orange sauce contrasted nicely, and the thinly sliced fingerling potatoes were a delicate balance of tenderness.
Those who had the beef course enjoyed their meals as well, however one of our party was unfortunately plagued by a tough section. They seemed very impressed by the chickpea fries also.
The third course was a choice between a cheese plate or Vincent's signature dessert, again the vanilla-bean ice cream, chocolate sauce, and Madeleine cookies. We all opted for the dessert. The man helping serve the dessert course described the dessert in the exact phrase that I would use: "simple, but wonderful."
Service throughout most of the meal was perfect, but unfortunately faltered at the end. One of our party requested coffee with dessert, and it was brought after dessert. Our server seemed a bit preoccupied with another table that had came in after us and it was difficult to get her attention for the check. Other than that hiccup, everything from the valet and coat-check at the beginning to the coat-check and valet at the end worked quite nicely. Vincent - A Restaurant is a place I wish I could go to more often.
Websites:
http://vincentarestaurant.com/index.php
http://www.mspmag.com//
Part 1
Wednesday brought us back to Vincent - A Restaurant for dinner. Seating was seamless, as it was for past visits. For those of you who have not been and plan on going, be aware that Vincent is one of those rare restaurants in existence that will offer a black napkin in place of a white one if it will blends better with your clothing and doesn't leave other-colored lint. It's a slightly pretentious, slightly amusing touch that often confuses people. At any rate, our server was professional and chatty, which was nice since we had to wait a few moments for the rest of our party to arrive.
We had a 2006 Monmousseau Vouvray, one of our house favorites. For some reason it tasted better than any bottle I've ever had in a store. Perhaps it was just affected by our mood. Our server took care to keep it in an ice bucket while we waited for our party to arrive.
After the rest of our group arrived, bread arrived swiftly, along with our first course. The choices were between the Ezilda soup, or Le Grande Salad. Most in our party had the wonderful signature soup, one of our party chose the salad, and while he commented that it was one of the better salads he had ever had, he also remembered that one doesn't make friends with salad.
The second course was a choice between seared sea scallops with leeks and fingerling potatoes with an orange sauce or beef tenderloin medallions with sun-dried tomatoes, chickpea fries, and a tarragon sauce. The scallops set a standard for many of us, that is, one of our party stated that the meal had "ruined scallops" for him since any scallop thereafter would be inferior. I was also impressed with the dish as a whole, the leeks and orange sauce contrasted nicely, and the thinly sliced fingerling potatoes were a delicate balance of tenderness.
Those who had the beef course enjoyed their meals as well, however one of our party was unfortunately plagued by a tough section. They seemed very impressed by the chickpea fries also.
The third course was a choice between a cheese plate or Vincent's signature dessert, again the vanilla-bean ice cream, chocolate sauce, and Madeleine cookies. We all opted for the dessert. The man helping serve the dessert course described the dessert in the exact phrase that I would use: "simple, but wonderful."
Service throughout most of the meal was perfect, but unfortunately faltered at the end. One of our party requested coffee with dessert, and it was brought after dessert. Our server seemed a bit preoccupied with another table that had came in after us and it was difficult to get her attention for the check. Other than that hiccup, everything from the valet and coat-check at the beginning to the coat-check and valet at the end worked quite nicely. Vincent - A Restaurant is a place I wish I could go to more often.
Websites:
http://vincentarestaurant.com/index.php
http://www.mspmag.com//
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Restaurant Week Part 1: Saffron Restaurant & Lounge, Vincent - A Restaurant (lunch), and La Belle Vie
DISCLAIMER: Since I am writing this a few weeks after, my memory of each meal's ingredients may not be perfect.
Mpls. St. Paul Magazine had their Best of the Best Restaurant Week the last week of February this year. None of my friends or I really knew what it was, but upon further reading it seemed like a good idea.
Many of the best restaurants in the area offer tasting menus for the week. Dinners are three courses and USD 30. This gives people like myself an opportunity to sample some of the best food the area has to offer without spending the usual amount it would cost to eat at such places. Lunches are also available at some restaurants.
I made reservations for four people every evening at six restaurants. As the week neared, restaurants posted their menus. Our Sunday spot, Crave, was canceled because their menu did not look particularly compelling.
The response from people I invited to participate in Restaurant Week was much greater than expected and reservations had to be quickly altered to accommodate larger parties. Reservations had initially been made using OpenTable, but modifying reservations required phone calls. La Belle Vie was the only restaurant that did not use OpenTable for the week.
Saffron Restaurant & Lounge kicked off our week. Located in downtown Minneapolis, the space is casually decorated and inviting. The moderately dim restaurant encourages relaxed conversation. Our server explained the menu well and sold us on starting with a couple of mezze dishes. Mezze at Saffron are tapas style small servings. We went with what our server said was their signature mezze, an Artichoke Tagine which was flavorful, tender, and a nice teaser. We also ordered the lamb brain, which came out more battered and fried than any of us had expected, on top of a tomato confit. The lamb brain was not nearly the adventure we were expecting, as the dominant flavor was the breading.
The first course of our meal garnered mixed responses. While it was a nice soup, I thought there was simply too much broth and not enough substance. One of our party thought the broth was just too sweet, while the other two members of our party loved it. This may be because they had decided to go with the USD 12 wine pairing for the evening. I had sips as each course came out and the pairings were absolutely perfect for each course. The soup, for those who care to know was called the "Jerusalem Artichoke" soup. It came plated in a hugely over-sized bowl, with a sweet, creamy broth under a small centerpiece of smoked salmon and wisps of fried onion. I felt that if there had been more salmon and onion it would have balanced out the sweet broth better.
The second course was easily the highlight of the night. A perfectly seasoned and cooked duck breast over a bed of saffron couscous with apricots and pistachios. Every bite of that dish was mesmerizing. It was paired with a lovely Pinot Noir that I can still recall, the nose had a hint of ripe strawberry, the body started with strawberry, moved to darker fruits, and finished with a slight hint of mushroom-like earthiness.
The final course was a coconut and almond cake with blood orange and hibiscus sorbet. The cake was fine, but nothing special, and too dense for one of our party's taste. The sorbet was an experience in of itself, sweet, tangy, and delicious.
Overall, I thought it was a good experience, but going back next year would depend on the menu. Service was a touch on the slow side, but attentive enough for a relaxed meal. What was notable was the fact that the restaurant was about a third full. Granted, it's a new restaurant and it was a Monday, but I was still surprised.
Tuesday brought me to Vincent - A Restaurant for lunch with co-workers. Vincent was offering a simple two course lunch menu for USD 10. Choices were a salad, croque monsieur with Chef Vincent's signature Ezilda soup (named after his grandmother, I think), or what I chose, which was a grilled chicken breast on top of a pancetta and pea risotto. All choices came with his signature dessert as the second course, vanilla bean ice cream with chocolate sauce and Madeleine cookies. Everyone seemed quite pleased with their meals.
The lunch was definitely worth the cold walk, and Vincent being on the corner of Nicollet Mall and 11th Street in Minneapolis gave a fine view of the city, bright in the winter sun. Service was perfect for lunch, our server explained the menu artfully, if not a bit theatrically. I told him we were in a bit of a time crunch, as we were, and he and his team accommodated with such efficiency that we were able to relax a bit after our meal before heading back to the parking ramp. Another thing to note is their two-course lunch tasting menu is usually USD 12.50, making this an excellent place for lunch any day of the week, provided you don't mind also paying for parking. This day they seemed to be doing a brisk lunch business. If I worked downtown, I'd be there for lunch at least weekly.
Tuesday evening was the meal I had most been looking forward to, at La Belle Vie. La Belle Vie moved to Minneapolis fairly recently, having been in Stillwater for a few years. The Minneapolis location is simply stunning. Service was flawless from start to finish, the initial call checked through everything a restaurant should know before someone dines with them. I was a bit put-off by the fact they weren't allowing OpenTable, but it turned out not to be a hassle making reservations at all. A team of valets attended to our vehicle and everyone we met had a warm smile on their face. The lounge was ornately appointed, a mixture of near-baroque with modern seating and a reasonably sized bar. I was surprised at how young our order-taking server looked, however she took perfect care of us and explained the menu with skill.
The scene was simply casual, beautiful, and sexy. The lighting was warm, perfect, and the space encouraged light chatter. The food was perfect, however the portions were a bit undersized - more on that later. We started with some foie gras and grilled bread. The foie gras itself had a lovely flavor to it, and was complimented by a sweet and tangy orange marmalade.
After the foie gras was an amuse-bouche of a simple, delicious cheese pastry puff. One of my companions commented that it tasted like the best Cheez-It ever. The first course was a piece of poached turbot with tarragon on top of a small bed of greens, topped with lobster and trout roe. The fish itself was perfect, mild, with a lovely texture. The roe added a fine amount of flavor and salt. The second course was a fantastic Taleggio stuffed Agnolotti, plated with beets and a hazelnut emulsion. The highlight of the plate though was a line of fifteen year old balsamic vinegar. I can't quite describe what it tasted like, other than perfection.
The third and final course for the night was a medallion of grilled beef tendorloin on a celeryroot fondue, with beech mushrooms and a crispy veal sweetbread. Everything about it was perfect. No one in our party had ever had sweetbreads before, and it was an experience I'd gladly repeat. The server who brought each course explained each dish with great passion and enthusiasm that was at the same time amusing while piquing interest in each plate.
I was disappointed in La Belle Vie's treatment of restaurant week. While every plate was perfectly executed and wonderful, they had simply taken their five course restaurant menu and chopped two courses off. Every other restaurant we went to that week had well thought out menus and the meals were reasonably satisfying in size. I am not one that equates quality with portion size, but leaving La Belle Vie, I was not only not full, but still hungry. Going back next year will depend on the menu, and with the knowledge that extra courses may need to be tacked on. All of that said, the atmosphere and the unparalleled service will probably convince me to go back next year.
Websites:
http://www.mspmag.com//
http://www.saffronmpls.com/
http://www.vincentarestaurant.com/
http://www.labellevie.us/
Mpls. St. Paul Magazine had their Best of the Best Restaurant Week the last week of February this year. None of my friends or I really knew what it was, but upon further reading it seemed like a good idea.
Many of the best restaurants in the area offer tasting menus for the week. Dinners are three courses and USD 30. This gives people like myself an opportunity to sample some of the best food the area has to offer without spending the usual amount it would cost to eat at such places. Lunches are also available at some restaurants.
I made reservations for four people every evening at six restaurants. As the week neared, restaurants posted their menus. Our Sunday spot, Crave, was canceled because their menu did not look particularly compelling.
The response from people I invited to participate in Restaurant Week was much greater than expected and reservations had to be quickly altered to accommodate larger parties. Reservations had initially been made using OpenTable, but modifying reservations required phone calls. La Belle Vie was the only restaurant that did not use OpenTable for the week.
Saffron Restaurant & Lounge kicked off our week. Located in downtown Minneapolis, the space is casually decorated and inviting. The moderately dim restaurant encourages relaxed conversation. Our server explained the menu well and sold us on starting with a couple of mezze dishes. Mezze at Saffron are tapas style small servings. We went with what our server said was their signature mezze, an Artichoke Tagine which was flavorful, tender, and a nice teaser. We also ordered the lamb brain, which came out more battered and fried than any of us had expected, on top of a tomato confit. The lamb brain was not nearly the adventure we were expecting, as the dominant flavor was the breading.
The first course of our meal garnered mixed responses. While it was a nice soup, I thought there was simply too much broth and not enough substance. One of our party thought the broth was just too sweet, while the other two members of our party loved it. This may be because they had decided to go with the USD 12 wine pairing for the evening. I had sips as each course came out and the pairings were absolutely perfect for each course. The soup, for those who care to know was called the "Jerusalem Artichoke" soup. It came plated in a hugely over-sized bowl, with a sweet, creamy broth under a small centerpiece of smoked salmon and wisps of fried onion. I felt that if there had been more salmon and onion it would have balanced out the sweet broth better.
The second course was easily the highlight of the night. A perfectly seasoned and cooked duck breast over a bed of saffron couscous with apricots and pistachios. Every bite of that dish was mesmerizing. It was paired with a lovely Pinot Noir that I can still recall, the nose had a hint of ripe strawberry, the body started with strawberry, moved to darker fruits, and finished with a slight hint of mushroom-like earthiness.
The final course was a coconut and almond cake with blood orange and hibiscus sorbet. The cake was fine, but nothing special, and too dense for one of our party's taste. The sorbet was an experience in of itself, sweet, tangy, and delicious.
Overall, I thought it was a good experience, but going back next year would depend on the menu. Service was a touch on the slow side, but attentive enough for a relaxed meal. What was notable was the fact that the restaurant was about a third full. Granted, it's a new restaurant and it was a Monday, but I was still surprised.
Tuesday brought me to Vincent - A Restaurant for lunch with co-workers. Vincent was offering a simple two course lunch menu for USD 10. Choices were a salad, croque monsieur with Chef Vincent's signature Ezilda soup (named after his grandmother, I think), or what I chose, which was a grilled chicken breast on top of a pancetta and pea risotto. All choices came with his signature dessert as the second course, vanilla bean ice cream with chocolate sauce and Madeleine cookies. Everyone seemed quite pleased with their meals.
The lunch was definitely worth the cold walk, and Vincent being on the corner of Nicollet Mall and 11th Street in Minneapolis gave a fine view of the city, bright in the winter sun. Service was perfect for lunch, our server explained the menu artfully, if not a bit theatrically. I told him we were in a bit of a time crunch, as we were, and he and his team accommodated with such efficiency that we were able to relax a bit after our meal before heading back to the parking ramp. Another thing to note is their two-course lunch tasting menu is usually USD 12.50, making this an excellent place for lunch any day of the week, provided you don't mind also paying for parking. This day they seemed to be doing a brisk lunch business. If I worked downtown, I'd be there for lunch at least weekly.
Tuesday evening was the meal I had most been looking forward to, at La Belle Vie. La Belle Vie moved to Minneapolis fairly recently, having been in Stillwater for a few years. The Minneapolis location is simply stunning. Service was flawless from start to finish, the initial call checked through everything a restaurant should know before someone dines with them. I was a bit put-off by the fact they weren't allowing OpenTable, but it turned out not to be a hassle making reservations at all. A team of valets attended to our vehicle and everyone we met had a warm smile on their face. The lounge was ornately appointed, a mixture of near-baroque with modern seating and a reasonably sized bar. I was surprised at how young our order-taking server looked, however she took perfect care of us and explained the menu with skill.
The scene was simply casual, beautiful, and sexy. The lighting was warm, perfect, and the space encouraged light chatter. The food was perfect, however the portions were a bit undersized - more on that later. We started with some foie gras and grilled bread. The foie gras itself had a lovely flavor to it, and was complimented by a sweet and tangy orange marmalade.
After the foie gras was an amuse-bouche of a simple, delicious cheese pastry puff. One of my companions commented that it tasted like the best Cheez-It ever. The first course was a piece of poached turbot with tarragon on top of a small bed of greens, topped with lobster and trout roe. The fish itself was perfect, mild, with a lovely texture. The roe added a fine amount of flavor and salt. The second course was a fantastic Taleggio stuffed Agnolotti, plated with beets and a hazelnut emulsion. The highlight of the plate though was a line of fifteen year old balsamic vinegar. I can't quite describe what it tasted like, other than perfection.
The third and final course for the night was a medallion of grilled beef tendorloin on a celeryroot fondue, with beech mushrooms and a crispy veal sweetbread. Everything about it was perfect. No one in our party had ever had sweetbreads before, and it was an experience I'd gladly repeat. The server who brought each course explained each dish with great passion and enthusiasm that was at the same time amusing while piquing interest in each plate.
I was disappointed in La Belle Vie's treatment of restaurant week. While every plate was perfectly executed and wonderful, they had simply taken their five course restaurant menu and chopped two courses off. Every other restaurant we went to that week had well thought out menus and the meals were reasonably satisfying in size. I am not one that equates quality with portion size, but leaving La Belle Vie, I was not only not full, but still hungry. Going back next year will depend on the menu, and with the knowledge that extra courses may need to be tacked on. All of that said, the atmosphere and the unparalleled service will probably convince me to go back next year.
Websites:
http://www.mspmag.com//
http://www.saffronmpls.com/
http://www.vincentarestaurant.com/
http://www.labellevie.us/
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Vincent, a Restaurant
What, you mean I have to dress up to go to this place? It is bad enough that they even require me to wear clothing at all, much less dress clothes! I mean, "I" am paying "them" for services, not the other way around.
I'm never going back here.
Is that chocolate?
All is forgiven.
Thoughts I have had at Vincent.
The restaurant was quiet and tastefully appointed, the staff was professional while at the same time being warm and pleasant. The food was very good, if'n you don't mind the portions being very small. I left the restaurant feeling pleasantly fed, but I was also tempted to visit a nearby Famous Dave's afterwards so that I would feel genuinely full. I hear this is how rich people eat "all the time." I wonder why so many of them are fat. The only reason I did not go to the aforesaid barbecue joint of note is that I ate about three loaves of bread through the course of the meal.
This brings me to my next comment. The meal took an incredibly long time, and this fact allowed me to consume that much of the free bread. There were long pauses of service in between each course, which gave me plenty of time to do things I am not usually accustomed to doing when eating a meal. Things like speaking and making eye contact. It was unnerving. Again, I have been informed that this is what rich people often do, but for me, it was boring. Perhaps if the meal was going to be the one source of entertainment for the night it would be preferable, but I for one would have rather been served a bit more briskly.
Anyway, perhaps the greatest part of the meal for me was dessert, which was two scoops of vanilla ice cream topped with molten chocolate with little puffy cookies on the side. What made this memorable to me was that a well-dressed gentleman came around the table and poured the chocolate from a little pot to your liking. The ice cream was served in what was basically a coffee cup, so I quipped, "Just top it off, I'll find the ice cream later." To my surprise, he did, or would have if I hadn't stopped him. Either way the chocolate was level and the ice cream was nowhere to be found without some excavation on my part.
This place is awesome.
I'm never going back here.
Is that chocolate?
All is forgiven.
Thoughts I have had at Vincent.
The restaurant was quiet and tastefully appointed, the staff was professional while at the same time being warm and pleasant. The food was very good, if'n you don't mind the portions being very small. I left the restaurant feeling pleasantly fed, but I was also tempted to visit a nearby Famous Dave's afterwards so that I would feel genuinely full. I hear this is how rich people eat "all the time." I wonder why so many of them are fat. The only reason I did not go to the aforesaid barbecue joint of note is that I ate about three loaves of bread through the course of the meal.
This brings me to my next comment. The meal took an incredibly long time, and this fact allowed me to consume that much of the free bread. There were long pauses of service in between each course, which gave me plenty of time to do things I am not usually accustomed to doing when eating a meal. Things like speaking and making eye contact. It was unnerving. Again, I have been informed that this is what rich people often do, but for me, it was boring. Perhaps if the meal was going to be the one source of entertainment for the night it would be preferable, but I for one would have rather been served a bit more briskly.
Anyway, perhaps the greatest part of the meal for me was dessert, which was two scoops of vanilla ice cream topped with molten chocolate with little puffy cookies on the side. What made this memorable to me was that a well-dressed gentleman came around the table and poured the chocolate from a little pot to your liking. The ice cream was served in what was basically a coffee cup, so I quipped, "Just top it off, I'll find the ice cream later." To my surprise, he did, or would have if I hadn't stopped him. Either way the chocolate was level and the ice cream was nowhere to be found without some excavation on my part.
This place is awesome.
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