While I wasn't planning on writing about it because I wrote about it last fall. The friends I was with thought it deserved another post for Restaurant Week. As I was already taking pictures, it was easy enough to do so here is my Restaurant Week review for Vie. I mentioned before that while out in the suburbs, it is very close to a train station so it is fairly easy to get to. While I previously thought that the restaurants was a maze of rooms, it turns out that is actually laid out like a squared Q with the entrance being at the end of the tail. We were actually seated in the same dining area where I ate the last time I was here and we had the same waiter who I really liked the last time I was here. The restaurant was more crowded so it was louder and while the music was playing, we were unable to hear it at our table. The Restaurant Week menu for Vie was a four course menu with two choices for the first three courses and three for dessert (for $44). There was also a small menu of sides which, while they all looked really good, I was worried that I/we would have trouble finishing with the added course so we held off on those. As I was part of a party of five, everything on the restaurant week menu was ordered but one of the desserts. While it probably would have been nice to document all of the dishes at our table, I didn't think about it until to late. While I will mention the other choices, I only have pictures of those things that I ate. We were not served an Amuse Bouche this time and we immediately were started with our first course. I ordered a Crispy Local Pork Belly with Braised Potatoes, Sopressata, some leafy greens, and a house-cured olive vinaigrette with olives that were sliced and pitted. The pork belly was outstanding. It was nice and crispy with a sweet-salty flavor combination. The Sopressata was diced small and while it was similar to the pork belly, it helped to bring the olives and the pork belly together. The other choice for this course was the Wood-Grilled Laughing Bird Shrimp with Roasted Carrots, Pickled Oranges, Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette, and Cilantro. I did actually get to try the shrimp and it was perfectly grilled. It had a nice smokiness and a good tang from the oranges and the vinaigrette. 
The next course, oddly enough, was the salad course. While most of the table ordered the roasted golden beets, Werp Farm Greens, and Ricotta Biscuits with a Walnut Vinaigrette, I decided to go sample and order their house salad which included arugula and other leafy greens, fresh and marinated hearts of palm, garlic and herb vinaigrette, and Parmagiano Reggiano Cheese. I love beets and a combination of beets and cheese is an excellent flavor combination, I wanted to do something different from the table and even though a house salad is fairly standard, the house-made vinaigrette and the hearts of palm (along with the grated Parmagiano Reggiano) really made the dish.
Our next course was the entree and we had a choice of fish and chicken. The chicken being served looked really good. It was a Gunthorp Farms Chicken Combination: Breaded and Fried Breast and Braised Leg and Thigh with Braised Greens, Pickled Ramps, Local Potato Puree, and Chicken Jus. Gunthorp Farms does some really good chicken. Raising it free-range and organically really gives it some taste and the chefs at Vie can make everything taste good. I eat chicken at home so often that I generally don't order it when I go out so I ordered the fish. I ordered a Pan Roasted Whitefish with Anson Mills Carolina Gold Rice, Braised Onions, Roasted Hazelnuts, and Gremolata (a chopped herb condiment with lemon zest, garlic and parsley). The whitefish was very tender and flavorful. The gold rice was cooked had a nice tangy flavor which was probably enhanced by the large number of lemons in the gremolata and the garlic and parsley were cut large to allow each piece to impart their flavor as you bit into it. It was probably one of the best fish I have ever had.
By the time we got to dessert, it was generally decided that it was probably a good idea that we didn't get one of the sides despite how good they looked. All of the desserts looked really good (on paper) and I was a little disappointed that all of the choices weren't ordered but everyone was very happy with what we got. Most of us ordered the Valrhona Chocolate Mousse Bar with Soft Salted Caramel, Salted Peanuts, and Whipped Cream. This was very good and it was kind of like a deconstructed candy bar but there were a few people that had a little troule getting through the hard chocolate on the bottom of the mousse. The other choice that came to our table were the Gingerbread Donuts with Sweet Custard and Nichols Farm Warm Apple Compote. I really like gingerbread and compote so I am sure that this was very good but I liked my mousse bar. The other choice was a Seville Sour Orange Float consisting of Sour Orange Marmalade Sorbet, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Vanilla Wafers, and Soda. This also sounded really good but you can't beat good chocolate.
We all really enjoyed our dinner at Vie. The food and service were excellent and while it was a little loud, it wasn't overwhelming. Despite the fact that it does take some planning for me to come out here, I am sure it is a place that I will continue to come to.
The next course, oddly enough, was the salad course. While most of the table ordered the roasted golden beets, Werp Farm Greens, and Ricotta Biscuits with a Walnut Vinaigrette, I decided to go sample and order their house salad which included arugula and other leafy greens, fresh and marinated hearts of palm, garlic and herb vinaigrette, and Parmagiano Reggiano Cheese. I love beets and a combination of beets and cheese is an excellent flavor combination, I wanted to do something different from the table and even though a house salad is fairly standard, the house-made vinaigrette and the hearts of palm (along with the grated Parmagiano Reggiano) really made the dish.
Our next course was the entree and we had a choice of fish and chicken. The chicken being served looked really good. It was a Gunthorp Farms Chicken Combination: Breaded and Fried Breast and Braised Leg and Thigh with Braised Greens, Pickled Ramps, Local Potato Puree, and Chicken Jus. Gunthorp Farms does some really good chicken. Raising it free-range and organically really gives it some taste and the chefs at Vie can make everything taste good. I eat chicken at home so often that I generally don't order it when I go out so I ordered the fish. I ordered a Pan Roasted Whitefish with Anson Mills Carolina Gold Rice, Braised Onions, Roasted Hazelnuts, and Gremolata (a chopped herb condiment with lemon zest, garlic and parsley). The whitefish was very tender and flavorful. The gold rice was cooked had a nice tangy flavor which was probably enhanced by the large number of lemons in the gremolata and the garlic and parsley were cut large to allow each piece to impart their flavor as you bit into it. It was probably one of the best fish I have ever had.
By the time we got to dessert, it was generally decided that it was probably a good idea that we didn't get one of the sides despite how good they looked. All of the desserts looked really good (on paper) and I was a little disappointed that all of the choices weren't ordered but everyone was very happy with what we got. Most of us ordered the Valrhona Chocolate Mousse Bar with Soft Salted Caramel, Salted Peanuts, and Whipped Cream. This was very good and it was kind of like a deconstructed candy bar but there were a few people that had a little troule getting through the hard chocolate on the bottom of the mousse. The other choice that came to our table were the Gingerbread Donuts with Sweet Custard and Nichols Farm Warm Apple Compote. I really like gingerbread and compote so I am sure that this was very good but I liked my mousse bar. The other choice was a Seville Sour Orange Float consisting of Sour Orange Marmalade Sorbet, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Vanilla Wafers, and Soda. This also sounded really good but you can't beat good chocolate.We all really enjoyed our dinner at Vie. The food and service were excellent and while it was a little loud, it wasn't overwhelming. Despite the fact that it does take some planning for me to come out here, I am sure it is a place that I will continue to come to.
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