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(April 20, 2007)
Vin Bistro is located at 38th and Jefferson Square
in a building that has housed some really excellent restaurants in the
past including Kevin Williamson's Ella's and Bob Lowe's famous Galleria.
The culinary vibes have evidently rubbed off because new chef Chris
Lusk has got Vin Bistro operating at a very high level of sophistication
and consistency. This is a restaurant that prides itself on the paring
of each dish with an appropriate wine. And the experiences have thus
far been most engaging.
Chef Lusk has a background at Commander's Palace
in New Orleans as well as Mario Batalli's Babbo e Enoteca in New York
City. Nothing trite about those places and neither is there about the
appetizers at Vin Bistro. The Corn Fried Calamari is a beautiful dish.
The pickled green tomatoes light up the plate but the Crispy Bacon and
Lemon Agave Vinaigrette steals the show. I actually asked for a bit
more because it so enhanced the delicately fried squid. The Almond Encrusted
Fried Brie is presented in a port wine reduction with mixed greens and
a ruby red grapefruit vinaigrette. The texture and heat of this dish
allows the brie to ooze out of the crust, providing the diner with moments
of culinary bliss. The Hudson Valley Foie Gras Trio gives one an entirely
new perspective on threesomes. The seared foie gras, the surprisingly
delightful Smoked Foie Gras mousse, and the Foie Gras Almond Butter
offer an amazing digression of flavors and tastes. I loved it.
A salad you'll want to try is the Wilted Spinach
with sweet onions and goat cheese. Add a grated egg and apple smoked
bacon-molasses vinaigrette and you have really engaging texture and
flavor.
The entrees at Vin Bistro well tempt and please
the most seasoned epicure. The stunning Chilean Sea Bass amazed us at
our last dinner there. The fish was beautifully cooked and presented
with the most fulsome lobster butter I've ever tasted. The Yukon gold
mashed potatoes and the Brandy Wilted Spinach rounded out this near
perfect dish. Another killer entrée is the Black Angus Tenderloin.
This is presented with a lovely Forest-mushroom tomato relish and a
whimsical potato puree. Every bite of this carnivore's delight resonated
with flavor. The Seared Yellow Fin Tuna is another entrée that
really ought to be sampled. Tuna is tricky and can easily dry out if
not properly cooked. But ours was flaky and had a very sweet flavor,
courtesy of the Yuzu Barbecue sauce.
We also opened up a bottle of one of my favorite
wines, The Treana 2001 Paso Robles. This California cab blend takes
a while to open and should be decanted upon your arrival. But it's a
lovely wine and lends itself to many of the tantalizing tastes coming
our of Chef Lusk's kitchen. Make sure to ask your server about the thoughtful
pairings available at Vin Bistro.
Can you tell that I enjoy this restaurant?
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