Home & Garden

Hello my Divanites! The Louisville Dining Diva has been reflecting (yes, I’m gonna go all Philosophical on ya) on the American dining experience. I’ve noticed something about our new Millennium.  Our schedules are so overwhelming; we’ve forgotten how to take time to delight the simple pleasures.

Remember when having dinner was a time to slow down, reconnect with your family and friends, and have a scrumptious, homemade meal? Remember when eating out at a Louisville Restaurant meant it was a special occasion? Remember when restaurants focused on the quality of the food, atmosphere, and creating a dining experience rather than “turning tables”?

A restaurant chain is a restaurant chain. The food is the same as any other you can get from the same genre of cuisine at any other chain eatery. There’s nothing unique in the experience, but it’s fast, usually hot, and satisfies your hunger.

Now, I’m not saying there is anything wrong with Restaurant chains. What I AM sayin’… and HEAR me on this… is that we’ve become a society so conditioned to what’s familiar or branded that we’ve forgotten the very reason we go out to eat.

“So Diva,” you ask. “What’s the solution to this problem plaguing the Louisville Dining Community?”

My very stern “mom” look that you can’t see in this blog is locking eyes with yours and proudly proclaiming, “Seek out the restaurants in town that offer something DIFFERENT.”

 ”But where do we start?” you ask.

Hmmmmm…. Let’s start with Vincenzo’s! This Louisville icon has been around forever and built a reputation for upscale dining. It’s the kind of place you take your best girl, prom date, or theatre dinner partner to enjoy a meal the way it was intended.

 And if a certain someone was thinking of “popping the question”, Vincenzo’s would be one of the top recommendations in my book. The recently tweaked luminous décor, high-ceilings, and Renaissance style paintings perfectly set the stage for your special event after the sun goes down. Want a little more romance? Try their courtyard area complete with mature trees, umbrella’d tables, and twinkling lights to add that extra sparkle to your evening.

Dining at Vincenzo’s is like a pleasant waltz in the Garden of Eden. Take my advice and order either their new Three Course Theatre Menu or a Fabulous 6 course Champagne Dinner and treat yourself to a Lemoncello Martini. Chef Agostino HAND MAKES the Lemoncello for this cocktail and it is nothing short of Zen in a glass.

 Our gracious host, Chef Agostino stopped at our table and shared one of his young scholar stories with us. Don’t let his calm demeanor and friendly smile fool you, in his younger days he was quite the cheeky little devil. As a young chef apprentice at Le Caprise in Palermo, he was constantly looking to learn more and improve his craft. But Head Chef’s back in the day were very secretive. Our young Agostino asks his teacher, “Chef, how many eggs did you use to make the mayonnaise?”

 The Chef, fearing to lose his job if this gifted usurper learned the secret to his special mayonnaise replied, “It is not your time to know.”

 Agostino, being 16, impetuous, and with a curiosity to rival any cat, waited until the Chef was finished, then immediately took the trash out… like a good apprentice should. While outside, he counted each and every egg shell. Sneaky, sneaky, young  Agostino!  To this day, he never revealed to the chef that he learned his recipe secrets by observing the ingredient scraps. But what that experience taught him was to be on your toes, take every opportunity you’re offered, and don’t be afraid to pass on your knowledge. In his kitchen, Chef Agostino teaches everyone… even YOU if you are NOT so inclined.

 After our Lemoncello Martini’s, my dining companion and I splurged on the Champagne Dinner.  A variety of Antipasti, or Antipasti Imperial, as Vincenzo’s would call it, tickled our taste buds. 

 Appetites sufficiently peaked, the Rissottino arrived topped with Eggplant and teaming with fresh mushroom, tomato marinara boasting a slightly spicy goodness with a schmear of fresh basil pesto. As Rachel Ray says, “YUMMO!”

 Ahhhh,  fish. Delicious and Nutritious. Tonight was no exception. Chef Agostino entranced us with BRANZINO AL POMODORO, or fresh Chilean Sea Bass over a grilled Beefsteak Tomato slice, sweet Bell Peppers, Caper sprinklings, a Jumbo Prawn, and a couplet of Asparagus spears. 

 As some of you know, Diva isn’t from Louisville. I spent a good good deal of my life living on the Eastern Coast. My father, an avid fisherman, would sail into the Gulf Stream quite often and bring home dinner straight from the sea. So I have tendency to be tough on restaurants that serve fish.  Vincenzo’s passes the Diva test for fish with FLYING colors! Not only was my fish fresh from the sea, but the flavor combination Chef Agostino used STILL has my taste buds screaming for more!

 Our between course intermezzo was a lemon sorbet to cleanse the palate and prepare us for the delights ahead.  There is something about being served something as simple as a lemon sorbet lovingly topped with fresh mint in a martini glass. Try it sometime fellas… you’ll be glad you did.

 Next up, we sampled the INVOLTINI DI VITELLO SINATRA aka their famous Veal Sinatra, accompanied with Peruvian fingerling potatoes and  the most tender and flavorful Lamb Chop I’ve had the pleasure of devouring.  Wanna know how to make their famous Veal Sinatra? Check out this video posted on the Vincenzo’s website!

 But then, came DESSERT! My favorite part of the meal.  At times, I wish I socialized with my Red Hat friends more often so I could eat dessert first and say it was a rule.

 Chef Agostino bestowed us with a medley of Tiramisu, Georgia Peach Cheesecake topped with Carmel Sauce, a mini Cannolli, and fresh fruit with Chantilly cream. Vincenzo’s uses Sponge cake instead of Lady Fingers in their Tiramisu giving it a lighter flavor than what you might have had before. And the Chantilly Cream? OMG! Chef Agostino uses just a touch of Mascarpone cheese to make it light and fluffy.  Trust me, Divanites, it was REALLY DIFFICULT to not lick the plate after this offering.

 During our meal, I had the pleasure of interviewing a couple visiting from Arizona and Alabama. Patty and Johnny came to Vincenzo’s on the recommendation of the concierge at Marriott. Having a discriminating pallet for Italian food, Johnny ordered a simple Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Basil because, “If they can do that really well, you know you’ve found the best authentic Italian restaurant in Louisville.” The outcome?  “It was the most amazing sauce I’ve ever tasted,” he boasted.

 The staff doesn’t care that you stick around for a while. That is what the dining experience is all about, my friends. Good drink, good food, good friends, and feeling like you’ve been a part of an event for the evening. Even if the event is just to celebrate Friday.

 Chef Agostino and Christopher Sollner (Catering Director Extraordinaire), I hope you enjoyed my review, as much as I enjoyed spending my evening with you and your staff at Vincenzo’s.

So do me a favor Divanettes and Divanados, if I’m ever on death row, make sure to tell them to have Vincenzo’s and Chef Agostino cook my last meal. But before you depart to complete that bucket list of your own, go downtown and enjoy dining bliss at Vincenzo’s… and tell them the Louisville Dining Diva sent you.

Ciao Bella!

~Diva

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