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| - We had the pleasure this week of visiting Vivace during Restaurant Week. Restaurant Week dining can be hit or miss in some places, as the huge volume of business can show the cracks in one's service planning, but the staff at Vivace are on the ball! 3 courses for $30? They up the ante to 4 courses--5 if you count the amuse bouche. Before we even ordered, we were brought little plates of corvina ceviche, which were fresh and bright. We were seated in the upper dining area near the bar, which is a little less formal than the main floor, and affords a very nice view of Uptown. I think this place could be a little loud, but being up there helped immensely with making conversation without shouting possible.
Our waitress happily explained the items on the menu we weren't able to translate ourselves (I know now ceci means chickpea in Italian!) and then we were off to the races. My husband had the watermelon and balsamic appetizer, the flavors of which he said were "unexpected" but very good in combination. I snacked on the aforementioned fried chickpeas which had a very nice spice on them--maybe harissa? Something Mediterranean, but not your traditional Italian garlic and basil. Spicy and flavorful, and fun as finger food! Then came the first course, which at our table meant bruschetta with fresh peaches and basil (mmmmm, toasty!), and sweet corn agnolotti. Oh, the agnolotti! Little pillows of thin pasta bursting with a filling of creamy mascarpone and darkly sweet carmelized onions, coated in a sauce of fresh sweet corn and butter. I will now forever dream of these when I think of good pasta. They might make it onto my Death Row Meal list. Outstanding!
Next up, entrees. I had the fish, a corvina in aqua pazza with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. This is a very meaty fish, and the fresh veggies made for a light and satisfying meal. However, I cast several longing glances at my husband's hanger steak and potato croquette. Okay, I admit it, I am a bite-stealer. Protect your food! That potato thingy was amazing! Crispy and crunchy on the outside, meltingly fluffy potato mash on the inside. This kitchen staff knows what it is doing with a steak, too!
Lastly dessert. Ah, dessert. For me, tiramisu, for Mr. L, the lemon panna cotta. Both very satisfying, both creamy, but light years apart in their vision of dessert. The tiramisu was sweet, creamy and rich, the panna cotta was thick and light, with a little astringency from the blueberries. In all, a perfect ending that suited both our dessert palates.
Will we go back during a normal dining week? Oh yes! There is a charcuterie plate we saw go by that I must try, and I am sure their grilled pizzas are a wonder of bread and cheese engineering, and, well, everything on their menu looks like it is well thought out and carefully constructed. What a pleasure!
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