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| - Via Vai seems like quite a controversial restaurant in the yelp-o-sphere. I was initially quite hesitant to visit because of their reviews, but I'm glad I gave them a try. Here's why:
The food is amazing from a culinary standpoint. There is a natural spontaneity and creativity in the way the chef has designed the recipes. Their ingredients are excellent, and they're executed beautifully. Their parchment baked sea bass was cooked absolutely perfectly on each occasion. Their octopus is slow-braised to be so tender. Their pastas are the cooked precisely and dressed with a truly perfect balance of flavors.
Given the expertise, ingredients, and effort that it takes to create the calibre that they are delivering, I strongly defend their numbers and the portions. (Yes, you might want to order a couple of dishes per person here.) There's nothing like this in the area. There's a time and place for good ol family sized pizzerias, and there's a very much a need for a concept and restaurant like Via Vai.
Having said all this, I will concede that I have experienced a lot of the frustrations others have voiced when it comes to the overall dining experience. In my eyes, I see a friendly, eager, and vibrant team that is very young. There is much ambition in the team, and that ambition can do great things with some focused direction. In any restaurant, the talent from the behind kitchen will always be tempered by the staff. There are a lot of kinks in the flow of service at the moment. Awareness, efficiency, and discipline are all a little lacking.
I do sincerely hope that the team at Via Vai finds their stride.
PS - Dear Via Vai, might want to reconsider calling yourself a "Pizzeria." Your pizzas are good, but your other dishes are the stars.
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