Chez Vincent
Orlando, FL 32789
Phone: (407) 599-2929
- Price:
- $$$
- Hours:
- Mon-Sat 11:30am-2pm, 6pm-10pm
Editorial Review for Chez Vincent – by Lynelle Lawrence
The Scene
Located in the artsy Hannibal Square area of Winter Park. The atmosphere is charming as ever¿inviting, relaxing and intimate.
The Food
To start, there are few choices more French than the cuisses de grenouille (frog legs sauteed in a butter, garlic and parsley sauce) or feuillette d'escargots (sauteed snails in puff pastry with a port wine sauce). Two of the restaurant's most popular dishes are both referred to as l'assiette gourmande (gourmet plate)¿a meat or seafood sampler of five different items with five different coordinating sauces. Both are enjoyable, and if one item is not to your taste, there are four others to try. One of the seafood standouts is saumon aux framboises (poached salmon in a tangy-tart sherry wine and raspberry sauce). Another is the snapper a l'estragon (snapper in a light sauce of tarragon, white vermouth and seafood fumet with a touch of cream). A nice accompaniment to any entree are decadent mashed potatoes whipped with heavy cream and Parmesan cheese.
The crepe a la vanille (a warm crepe rolled around vanilla ice cream and drizzled with chocolate syrup) tastes like a nondescript child's sundae. However, the gratin de fruits rouge (seasonal berries drowned in warm cream) and tarte tartin (the classic French "upside-down apple pie" served warm with fresh cream or vanilla ice cream) are both acceptable endings.
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User Reviews for Chez Vincent
02/21/2008 Posted by foodie16
I made my way through the demilitarized zone called a “neighborhood” to find Chez Vincent, a hapless yet arrogant grease trap. I heard good things about the restaurant, but in hindsight that was from people who were friends with the owner. The decor is early nineties Pier 1, about as authentic French as part of the “It’s a Small World” ride. Our waiter arrived and he was everything you’d expect from the French – rude, dull, malodorous. He immediately started out on the wrong foot by delivering my gin and tonic with his thumb in it. Being excited to dine in a French restaurant, I decided to order the escargot which, when prepared properly, are a must have. When they’re not, you get what I ate – salty bits of gristle. My wife was craving scallops, but when they came out the stench was even telling my adventurous side that it wasn’t worth the dysentery she was going to get. I couldn’t believe how the waiter still served them after smelling them during the whole trip out from the kitchen. But then again, they probably smelled better than he did that night. When he took her plate away (completely untouched) he didn’t even remark that she didn’t eat any, and I’d swear that was because he was busy ogling her cans right in front of me. The rest of the meal was a comedy of errors –leathery cuts of meat with off scents disguised by heavy-handed spices and oversalting. Mushy vegetables, watery cocktails, a haphazard wine list that tries solely to cover the restaurant’s mortgage payment, more stolen glances at the wife's knockers. The pie for dessert was so bad I probably would have given it a better rating if I were hitt in the face with it. In summary, I wish I could defecate on a plate and invite Vincent and my snooty waiter over to eat it. Then I’d be returning a favor.
Pros: Vincent has some real guts putting his name on the building
Cons: An unlicensed Chinatown street vendor is probably more sanitary
01/05/2008 Posted by vk1954
I took a very good friend here for her birthday this past week. We are both very fond of French cuisine and have lived in New Orleans prior to Orlando. We probably should've known better than to eat French food anywhere but New Orleans, as we have discerning palates as a result. I like the ambiance and decor of the restaurant, though, the friendliness of the staff is a definite negative . They acted like they could've cared less that we had decided to join them for lunch. The mushroom soup was so thick that it didn't even resemble soup. It was hot and had a good flavor, but had the appearance of congealed gravy and had cornstarch or tapioca lumps in it. The mussels were tasty enough, but my trout with butter and almonds was WAY TOO SALTY & had the texture of cardboard. It was a very thin piece of trout (?) and had been severely overcooked and the whole plate of food (fish & vegetables) appeared as if they had been sitting for hours under a heat lamp. The risotto (?) was sticky, the carrots wrinkled and snap peas were limp. I would never go to this restaurant again, nor would I recommend it to anyone! I was prepared to tell the server how I felt about the food, but he never inquired as to our satisfaction. That, to me, is a standard in any service industry. He just picked up the plates, without a smile or comment, and sent someone else over with our bill. I have to wonder if the owner ever reads these reviews, as he was there the day we had lunch & I'm guessing he was the chef. Maybe, he's just tired and needs to get out of the business......
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