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| - I recently had a wistful desire to dine at Vivo again, after a long hiatus. This hiatus was not for distaste, but for a mixture of emotional evasion (this was a spot I frequented with my ex-husband) and relative poverty (well... rebuilding a new life after divorce will sometimes do that to a person). Such a long hiatus that I must confess, the last time I was at Vivo, it was located in the then-dry town of Bellevue ( ... live ... worship ... shop ... ).
So these are my caveats, the context within which this meal was appreciated, influences that may have guided my perception beyond just the flavors and textures of the meal itself. Just so ya know!
I didn't have a bad meal here. It just didn't live up to my memory. Typical response I suppose, but there were a couple of explicit changes that I sorely miss that had previously catapulted this restaurant from delivering your standard, delicious, expensive, fancy meal, up to delivering a unique, warm, cultural, and individualized experience that you couldn't hope to get anywhere else. In my opinion, if you have the ability to deliver such an experience to your guest, it means so much more than just making good food. The good food didn't change, the experience did.
So, wah wah, I miss the pre-dinner pasta course, and the post-dinner salad course (the old italian way!), and the personally delivered by voice small menu (never was there ever a printed menu before the move). I miss the cozy, closed in feel, the soft glow of table lamps, the cramped quarters of camaraderie in fine dining. I miss the feeling of mixing luxury with secret-ness and surprise. The masterful chef still makes an effort to come to your table to say hello, a small vestige of the-way-things-used-to-be.
Ah, well maybe the restaurant has just been Sewickley'ed.
Now, if I take a look with fresh eyes, like its a totally new restaurant ... the space is undoubtedly a nice space, with a cool bar one can also dine at, high open ceilings, warm yet bare drop lights, plenty of rearrangable space to accommodate any size group, wood tables, tile floor, knowledgeable and attentive waitstaff, and nice big glass walls that look out onto a gorgeous courtyard that is probably a true al fresco delight in the warmer months. Its offerings include an amazing and extensive wine and booze list and a menu of delightful appetizers, entrees, and desserts, some of which were offered even in the-way-back-when, and were all no doubt expertly crafted.
For appetizers, we had Octopus Piment D' Espellette (which I had recalled being tasty in the past) and some sauteed fancy mushrooms, both of which were good. I rather liked the octopus, in particular the feel of the meat, which was definitely in the meaty category of feels, as opposed to the rubberyness that many people fear. It was so meaty, it was almost like slices of turkey stamped into octopus rounds. I quite liked it, but my companion was not as much a fan of this, as he felt like it was less authentically octopus-y. Flavor-wise, perfect. The mushrooms were, of course, delicious, but nothing to write home about (though they did inspire me to sauté my own fancy mushrooms for the next night's Sunday Dinner, which turned out just as good if I do say so myself, and now I will be doing it all the time!). One note - the mushrooms came with a dollop of a blue cheese, which I did not find necessary or additive, but I ate it just the same, and was easily avoidable.
Choosing the entree was difficult for me, because my past experiences have taught me that everything, meat and fish alike, is cooked superbly. My dining companion got the Elk Filet, cooked rare, and it was, to me, very good, reminding me of a time that I ate reindeer in Helsinki. I wish I'd gotten it, instead of my veal chop, which was just fine. I also wish I'd gotten the fish, or the flat iron steak. Eh, maybe veal just isn't my thing (I think this after every time I eat veal, so I should probably just stop trying it, because if it doesn't blow my socks off at Vivo, then its probably just not my favorite thing). So, while I am sure it was good, I can't say I loved it.
Some final notes, if you are considering going here for a dinner some time. It is fine dining, but blissfully not suit-and-tie dining. You should dress nicely, but it is still basically a casual place. Don't wear a jersey, but you don't have to go crazy combing your hair just right. But if you did, you wouldn't look out of place either. They didn't have my old favorite dessert, but what they offered was good, and all made in house, so if you are a sugar nut, you are sure to be satisfied. In general, you are sure to have a solidly GOOD meal here. It is just not as special as it used to be. C'est la vie!
SNEAKY TIP:
Go back in time to 2008! Jussssst kidding. We can't do that! But if you are like me and miss that feel, just forget it ever was, go in with fresh new eyes and tongue, and chat with the chef.
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