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Mon-Wed. 11:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Thu-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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On our way home the Pleasant Hill area, we found ourselves in need of a fortifying snack before facing Bay Area traffic. It was about 4:45 in the afternoon, so we were looking for someplace where we could get a light bite. Va de Vi came up on the Yelp-o-tron, so we went by.
One thing that jumped out at me immediately was the thoughtful selection and presentation of the wine list... they are really doing some stuff right:
1. The wines are grouped thematically (e.g., big bad cabernets, exotic reds, etc.) and given interesting and helpful descriptions that tell you what the wine smells and tastes like, but in a non-geeky way that conveys some personality. Most restaurants could stand to learn from this refreshing change from the standard sparkling/white/red grouping with vintage/label/price listings. [Tip: the wine list on the website is not the wine list in the restaurant, or at least it is not formatted the same--maybe they see the cool wine list as a trade secret!]
2. The list has a nice mix of wallet-friendly, approachable wines with some geekier wines like The Prisoner by Orin Swift. [Having said that, if you're the kind of freak who goes to a restaurant to drop a few hundo on a Montrachet, this isn't your place.]
3. They have a strong emphasis on by-the-glass wine, and offer both 3oz "tastes" and 6oz "glasses". Even better, the tastes really do just cost half the price of a glass... this is brilliant! Far too many restaurants are still treat wine by the glass as an afterthought, which to me seems like a lost opportunity to sell more wine.
For food, we shared the pulled pork sandwich and a cheese plate. I was impressed with both.
The sandwich combined the best of what I like about North Carolina BBQ with what I like about Vietnamese sandwiches... juicy seasoned meat with crisp and spicy condiments to make it even more yummy. The house-made chips were just ok--a little on the greasy side and I found myself reaching for the salt.
Our waiter recommended a Riesling as an accompaniment to the sandwich, and it worked well (I realized after I started drinking it that it's the same '07 Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Riesling I had bought from The Wine Club in Santa Clara and really enjoyed).
The options for the cheese plate were actually interesting, and included a couple of cheese that were new to me, which is no small feat. I especially enjoyed the Roaring 40's Blue from Australia with a dab of the accompanying honey, although the fromage de laguoile was quite tasty too. My wife (who probably hasn't met a triple creme she doesn't like) really liked the Seal Bay Triple Creme--it was a perfect match for her flight of sparkling wines.
Speaking of the sparklers, one very nice touch was that the flight was delivered with numbered paper labels attached to the stems of the wines, to make it easier to keep track of them. This is really handy when you're tasting through a flight and passing them to other people to smell or taste.
The service was generally pretty good. I especially appreciated the waiter alerting us to the fact that they were just about to switch to the dinner menu, and giving us a chance to pick items that were only on the afternoon menu (without this tip, we would likely have missed the pulled pork sandwich).
Overall, this was the perfect quick-but-tasty stop for us. Next time we're up this way, we'll definitely be back to explore the menu and the wine list a bit further.
Side note: it happened to be Halloween, and about half of the staff was in costume. One waiter was a mime, which was pretty funny, and one of the female staffers had cat ears, whiskers, and a tail, along with her normal work clothes. What really, uh, got our attention, was the waitress we eventually figured out was probably supposed to be Alice in Wonderland, but with her low-cut top, short ruffled dress, and thigh-high stockings, she could easily have passed for a thematic hooker.
The restaurant is beautiful. When you make your reservation, ask for a seat outside by the fountain. The service was attentive and friendly.
The food was ...
*brussel sprouts w/bacon was fine (my sister's is better)
*miso beef salad was super oishii- so many wnderful textures
*LECHON was our fave dish of the night- a small bit of Heaven
*Alaskan Black Cod was well received but nothing besides desert should be eaten after lechon, there's just no competition
*For desert we chose profiteroles w/vanilla bean gelato...excellent
My bf and I wanted to grab some snacks and drinks before we go see a movie so we decided to roam around to see what's close by. We ended up here and definitely want to come back in the future.
We sat at the bar where we were greeted and given an extensive wine menu and small list of appetizers and cocktails. We were both impressed by the selection they had and noticed everything was of great quality. They do serve flights and small 3 oz tastings which I do appreciate since I sometimes like to try a little of everything. I ended up with a nice white Argentinian wine while my bf had one of the Italian pinot grigios. I LOVED what I had it was light yet full of complex flavors and aromas of fruit and flowers. Amazing...We topped it off with some cocktails after that. I had the "lemonade" and he had their margarita. Both were very delicious but his margarita was a bit strong but he liked it that way.
OF COURSE we had some appetizers too. I peeked over to the patrons to our left so I got the same dishes. We ordered the wagyu burger with the side of pomme frits and the rock shrimp lumpias. I was more impressed with the mini burger we had which was packed full of flavor and done exactly the way I like it (medium-well). The pomme frits/fries had a hint of garlic which wasn't too overpowering. I wasn't too impressed with the lumpia but enjoyed the contrasting flavors with the sauce, avocado, ginger, and seaweed that it had.
Overall a great experience and servers and bartenders were really nice. It is a little pricey in comparison to other places but I'd definitely come here again to try more wines and delicious items. It's a very cute cozy place with a bit of elegance but no feeling of stuffiness whatsoever.
This a wonderful place to try wine, their flights are set up perfectly, even though I do find the cheesy names they come up with for the flights a little below them. Their food is also very good for the most part. Their frites/fries are great, but who can screw up a fried potato. The fried pork belly is super tasty. Small plates service. It is a little high priced, I would give it 5 stars if every dish was $1 cheaper. Those pictures below writing this review are making me hungry.
This has always been our favorite Walnut Creek restaurant. Make sure to order the souffle.
I've been to Va de Vi numerous times and have always enjoyed the experience. The wait staff has always been very attentive and spot on with suggestions.The tapas menu is always inspired with a nice cross section of foods which gives me an opportunity to dive in and try something new. Add to the food is a fantastic wine selection with a good variety of wine flights that consistently have been good combinations.
If I have a complaint, it's mostly that the space is rather tight between tables and it can be a gamble when sitting outside, because when the sun sets it can suddenly become uncomfortably cold.
HORRIBLE!!!!!! went there yesterday for dinner and was completely disappointed. It was my first time there and I am definitely NOT going back. We were ignored for over 30 minutes after the waitress came over to "walk us through how to order". Then after we did, it was another long wait for the waitress, who would give us a pissy "I'll be right with you" whenever we tried to get her attention, to come get our drinks order. The food was ok - nothing special.
The waitress, in a nut shell, ruined a night out for celebration.
Avoid this place if you plan to enjoy your night out.
I came to Va de Vi one Saturday evening for dinner with my sister. It was a pretty breezy and cool night, so naturally there weren't many people sitting at the tables outside. What really put me off about Va de Vi was the fact that we were seated at a table outside even though we had reservations. There weren't any tables open on the inside so we were stuck. I suppose the only upside was that the tables inside looked pretty crammed together so perhaps being outside gave us more privacy. And they did have some space heaters.
We ordered two wine flights (one red, one white - list here:http://web.mac.com/vad...).
-The Bailout ($9.99): three reds
-Staff's White Picks ($14.25): three whites
Food went like this:
-Herbed Gnocchi with Vegetables: house made gnocchi, asparagus, corn, shallots, cherry tomatoes and peas, with a corn broth
-Ahi Tartare: sashimi grade tuna blended with meyer lemon zest, sesame oil and soy, topped with wasabi tobiko, served with sesame rice crackers
-Grilled Rosemary Lamb Skewers: lamb sirloin, marinated with lemon, garlic and thyme, topped with tapenade
-Lechon (crispy pork belly): served with rice cakes, pickled onions and sweet chili soy glaze
After dining, I found out that Va de Vi has been on the SF Chronicle's Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants for the last five years! AND it's the only place in CoCo County on the list! While I didn't walk away all that impressed with the food, I certainly dig the option for wine flights. I'd come back, but maybe only for wine and dessert.
How to summarize our experience at VDV a few weeks ago: rushed, expensive for value, unsatisfying. Nice patio, though.
This is a great place for a romantic lunch or dinner. The food is distinctive, the wine is top-notch, and the atmosphere has a stimulating but warm bistro vibe feel that somehow encourages you to be more sophisticated, witty, and relaxed than you really are.
So, when I looked this place up on the list of the 100 Best Bay Area Restaurants it was tagged as "Asian, California, Small Plates" and I wondered what I had gotten myself into. However, the trifecta was perfection. There were four of us, and we ordered the Ahi tartare (phenomenal), the miso beef salad (good, but tough to share), the pommes frites (fancy fries?! I'm in!), the summer pasta (waaaay better than the menu description would lead you to believe), the duck confit, and the rock shrimp avocado lumpia. The duck and the lumpia were good, but I don't think I would order them again. Everything else definitely left us wanting more. Especially the Ahi tartare. I think I'm in love. We ordered dessert too, we got a peach crisp and the huckleberry bread pudding, both were good but not amazing.
Their cocktail menu was okay, but nothing looked super tempting. We ended up ordering mojitos, which were just okay, but I guess that's what happens when you try to order cocktails at a wine bar...
Honestly, I feel like this place could be a five-starer except for the ambience, it left a little to be desired, though the patio did seem to be more pleasant. However, I will say that the very attentive and through wait staff almost made up for the lack of atmosphere...almost.
*** As a side note, for those of you boys who are on the prowl for a cougar, it looked to me like Tuesday nights at 8 o'clock on the Va de Vi patio is a sure thing.
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If you're a wino with a shopping habit, Va de Vi is the siren song that pulls you in off the streets during warm weekend shopping adventures...luring you with the promise of a cute little table in the outdoor patio, some good girlfriend gabbing and some tasty wine and nibbles to share.
Most of the wine and aps are super tasty...but be forwarned: this place ain't cheap. For you babes on a budget, check out their bail out flight (only $9.99) and deliciously awesome and affordable pommes frites and aioli. You can't go wrong...and yes, you can still sit on the patio.
Who knew that an East Bay restaurant being practically overblown with hype by the SF Chronicle could turn out quite good?
A date and I made reservations for a Wednesday night at 7:45pm. The indoor seating was full. Apparently my OpenTable reservation did not go through, but thankfully, a small two-seater table was available near the hostess station.
The stone patio is gorgeous for warm weather, so either bring a jacket or sit inside for chilly nights.
SERVICE: Fantastic. The right amount of punctuality and discretion. There wasn't the whole "I'm your new BFF/psychic servant" mentality.
Plates are not sent out in order. Since it's a tapas/small plates restaurant theme, you (and your guests) order multiple dishes and they come to the table, with the expectation to be shared.
FOOD: It's definitely an Italian-influenced menu with a languid, California comfort food twist. I think the food is supposed to play second-fiddle to the wine, but standing alone, the food is great.
The lamb meatballs were cooked exactly the way I like them; medium-well done and came in a gorgeous citrusy sauce with herbs. The ahi tartare was very to the point (no frills) and had quite a fresh taste. The sesame chips, though, were a bit too greasy.
We also ordered the Summer pasta which was the best dish ordered. Mozzerella, smoked tomatoes, with chili flakes and garlic. Beautifully seasoned and not horridly over-olive-oiled like many so-called "pasta places".
The best part of all was the dessert. We ordered crepes. Two succulent French-style crepes arrived in a chilled strawberry glaze with a gorgeous ricotta-like cheese inside. Delicious, beautiful and worth the carbs.
PRICE: For two people, three dinner dishes shared, one dessert shared, and two cocktails each, the damage came to $110. Not exactly the nicest of prices, but considering the quality of the food and atomosphere, I didn't wince like I normally would.
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Great place. Long and narrow, quaint, and cool. Decent portioned tapas. The wine flights were very good and inventive. I chose the staff picks option - three 3 oz pours of reds. Very good. The beef topped salad was delicious and cooked a perfect medium. The duck confit with little sticky buns was excellent. It comes on the bone so tear a little off and put it on a sticky bun. A couple of bites and it's gone. Whatever is in the marinade is awesome. The ahi tapa was very good also. It came with rice cakes and was mixed up with a variety of things. Tasty but small. Will go back.
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Went here for a light lunch with mom over the weekend after doing some merchandise-fondling at Nordstrom and Sephora. At a balmy 86 degrees, it was the perfect day for a shady spot on Va de Vi's beautiful patio.
Grilled, miso-marinated beef salad with soba noodles, snow peas, daikon, and mixed greens, with a citrus-soy vinaigrette. Delicious. Perfect Summer dish. Restrained portion size.
Achiote-marinated chicken quesadilla with queso fresco (my personal kryptonite), poblano chiles, and jicama/avocado/cilantro salad. Delicious. Plenty of chicken, just enough heat, chiles didn't overwhelm the dish.
Adobo-sauteed prawns served over steamed rice in adobo broth. Prawns were cooked perfectly, nice balance of broth-to-rice. The simplicity of the dish revealed the broth to be on the overly salty side, but the bowl still went back to the kitchen empty.
In a perfect world, Va de Vi would have an alternate service door for food-and-drink-carrying staff who I'm sure dread sharing the main front door for patio access as much as the guests who wind up playing the quickly-step-aside game as they encounter one another upon entering or exiting Va de Vi's narrow entry. I also wouldn't mind a full glass when paying $10 for one of their delicious scratch cocktails.
And the huckleberry bread pudding? Still panty-dropping dessert perfection.
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Re-reading his review has made me recognize my gross addiction to hyphen-useage. 15, including the 2 used in this footnote. I'm seeking help.
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Well-executed small plates.
Thoughtful wine flights.
Panty-dropping huckleberry bread pudding.
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Mostly I write these review because I hope that the owners and staff read them. I guess that is because I want small businesses to succeed and thrive, and I think this is a good way to give constructive feedback.
We have been to VDV many times. The food is generally very good, and the atmosphere is pretty good for WC. Not as good as Cesar in Oakland or Berkeley, but well done.
Some constructive comments:
the tables outside are pedestrian, and are not reflective of the quality of the restaurant. They are faded, and cheap loooking. Time to replace them, please.
Staff. Please focus on the staff. The service is spotty. Too much effort on the staff being hip rather than capable. I would suggest using the current environment as a opportunity to attract a capable, well -traini wait staff that will deliver quality service consistently. And attitude is never acceptable especially in a neighborhood restaurant. The staff is the consistent weakness of VDV, based on user comments.
See you soon!
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This is the second time I've been here and I've enjoyed it both times. I am a fan of the small plate concept, since it I always have a hard time deciding what to get. Both times, the hubby and myself ordered multiple small plates to share.
This time we had the heirloom tomato salad, the beef carpaccio, lamb skewers, rock shrimp lumpia, and lechon. I would have to say, the lamb skewers were excellent. They were super tender and flavored really well although the mashed potatoes served under them were pretty bland. Surprisingly, the lechon was also really good but a little too spicy with the kimchee on top for me. The shrimp lumpia was somewhat lacking in flavor and the carpaccio just had too much stuff on it with capers, olives, scallions, and some sort of aioli. We finished off with a fabulous chocolate souffle.
We paired our meal with a flight of Jill's reds. Since the hubby and myself are typical Asians and can't handle too much alcohol without looking like a beet, this is the perfect amount of wine for us.
Maybe because the hubby and myself don't get out too often anymore with three kids, or because of the combo of Parisian bistro atmosphere and small plates, I'm giving it 4 stars.
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I love their cooking style. It did remind me of a gourmet Filipino mixed with European class. It is a casual establishment but the food served is nowhere near casual dining. It is superb.
Their lechon dish was crisp pork with the ginger sauce, that was a hit. Their pork ribs was delicious. Their garlic fries were tasty. Eggrolls? That was an indulgence. Now I know that the food examples I just gave sound mundane but once you experience it for yourself, you know it's not your average fast food go-to.
It's not the cozy, dinner romantic spot but more like a bistro and on a busy day, it is filled with ear shot levels of conversations everywhere. For a couple's meal, the price range would be anywhere from a snack ($30) to about ($75-100) for a full meal.
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Oh my! Why haven't I reviewed this magnificent place!? I came here after work with my gfs and had dinner here. We waited for a bit, but it wasn't a big deal since there was a bar and we had a couple wine as we waited. We ordered a bunch of cheese plates, salad, ahi tuna, and of course some delicious red and white wines. The patio is really cute here. The place is small, very narrow, but that's most wine bars and I expected that. I would definitely come back here again!
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"Tapas"...Isn't that a fancy Spanish way to say overpriced, undersized "bites" of food??
In my experience, that seems to be the case. With that in mind, you can probably take a wild guess and say I am not the biggest fan of Tapas. Putting that aside, I will try to speak of Va de Vi through the eyes of someone who might actually enjoy paying to be underfed.
I had the pleasure of dining here for a business luncheon and I actually tried several, if not most, of their menu's offerings. To be fair, everything is quite tasty. Crudo of Ahi, Va De Vi burger and the crisp pork belly (lechon) particularly stood out in my mind. The only problem with the meal is that portions are definitely not manwich-sized...on the contrary, they're actually most suitable for those who share some hidden bloodlines with those who inhabit the Shire just northwest of middle earth.
Unless you have a hobbit-sized appetite, you literally will need to order at least 3-4 dishes per person to satiate the hunger pains. Keep in mind that dishes run on average $10-15 a pop. As long as you are okay with that, I say definitely check out Va de Vi. If however the good old wallet is already resting a bit thin pre-dinner, you best pre-load your stomach with some Mickey D's before walking in.
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I've been a fan of Va De Vi since it opened. I will preface this as you will read in other recviews. . .THIS IS A SMALL PLATES/TAPAS WINE BAR. Which means you are paying a pretty penny for high quality, well presented dishes that are small, meant for tasting. So, my suggestion is order a lot of plates if you can afford it OR don't show up famished. The food is excellent, except this time around, we had the lamb skewers which were perfectly cooked, but the rosemary was too potent. My favorite ( and I order it every time) is the Asian style Duck Confit served with steamed buns.
I love the nomenclature of the wine flight. My was called the "Master Blender" - all SMG blends from different regions. The favorite of the group was the 2007 Odisesa, "veritable quandry. " A local California wine. YUM!
The service was prompt and top notch as always. Will return for more.
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My husband and I heard a lot of hype about this place and decided to try it out for date night. We would've tried it sooner but I'm not a wine drinker so we've always been hesitant to go. We were not disappointed. The hostess seated us at a nice outdoor table in the back. The ambiance was very nice. Service was good but nothing extraordinary. We ordered 3-3 oz tasters of wine and 5 dishes which turned out to be plenty.
Ahi tartare - a delicious first dish. Light and tasty.
Miso Beef Salad - the flavor was perfect. Meat was not as tender as I would hope.
Lechon - our favorite dish. A little spicy but quite flavorful.
Summer pasta - good but nothing spectacular.
Duck confit - kind of like peking duck with more meat. Meat was very tender but a little on the salty side.
We would definitely order the first 3 dishes again and maybe a couple different dishes next time. The desserts sounded good but we were too stuffed. Va De Vi is the perfect place to go on a warm summer night. Would've rated 5 but it is a bit pricey for the size of the plates, especially if you order wine too.
Great seats under the big oak tree in the back.
The wine flights are so fun, lots of choices for both red and white lovers.
Small plates concept is great because you can try different foods. we went with the ahi tartare, black cod, chili relleno, lamb skewers, pomme frites and a couple of bottles of wine. :)
I had a sublime summer night here in the back patio...food and wine were incredible and our server was fantastic. We arrived just as the kitchen had closed, yet she managed to get us a couple of wonderful plates, and put together a custom wine flight based on our somewhat picky tastes...I felt swept away,and not in the middle of a upper middle class suburb. This place has a relaxed European vibe. The design details and how the setting unfolds as you walk back is one of the best I've experienced. Every detail here feels extremely well thought out.
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If you know what you're getting into here before you go, you'll have a blast...oh...and DEFINITELY get reservations in advance if you're going for dinner.
Va de Vi is a really fun spot for a double-date on a friday or saturday night. You go, you order a few bottles of wine, share five or six plates of very good small-bites-style food, enjoy their awesome service, and take your time.
The place is always crowded and loud inside, so if you're taking your grandparents, I suggest that you either sit outside or find another restaurant. The good news is that because it's loud, you can feel free to have a conversation at just about any volume without worry that you'll have someone listening in.
Wine list = 5 stars
Food quality = 5 stars
Food quantity for the price = 2 stars
Ambiance = 4 stars
Service = 5 stars
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Va de Vi was highly recommended me to by a friend that used to live in Walnut Creek. I am so glad that we took him up on his recommendation. What great way to wrap up our day in Walnut Creek. We choose to sit at the back patio around the gigantic tree. It was a little chilly, but well worth it. Our waitress was delightful and informative. She suggested that we treat our dining experience as "family style". We took her up on that and decided to order several dishes and share. We ordered the pommes frites, pan seared bavette steak and crispy five spice duck meatballs. My favorite would have to be the steak, but then again it usually is. For dessert we opted for the dessert tasting for two. We had the opportunity to sample four of their delicious desserts: huckleberry bread pudding, profiteroles, guittard chocolate soufflé and crepes. If you are ever in the Walnut Creek area, the is a MUST!!
I really enjoy this place. Great place for dinner, afternoon shopping break or just a glass of wine. I always order one of the cheese plates just so I can get the wildflower honey that is served with. The beet salad and garlic fries are fantastic. The changing menu keep things interesting.
If you happen to be shopping in Broadway Plaza, this is a great place to grab lunch, just a drink and app or even sit down to a nice dinner. The staff is very friendly and if the weather is nice I would request to sit on the outdoor patio (in the back). Almost always booked for dinner reservations, so unless you want to wait I would call ahead. Great food..highly suggest the ahi tartare and of course the wines are great as well :-) Enjoyable experience and I go back to often!
Just finished a two hour lunch here.
As I've noted in my many previous reviews (I think I'm up to four now), I am a bit of a veggie lover, and this place doesn't really cater to veggie lovers. SO, I split two dishes, dessert, and two, yes I realize it's a monday afternoon but it's still two, glasses of a perfect-for-the-beautiful-day French sparkling Rose.
Our first course was the iceberg wedge which I liked. Not the best ever, but good. Really, though, how can you go wrong when you rarely eat meat and then dive head first into bacon and bleu cheese?? Our second dish was the pulled pork sandwich. That, too, was pretty darn yummy, and my favorite part just may have been the homemade potato chips. Now dessert...I really get irritated at places that don't celebrate the birthday with at least a small dose of some free sweet deliciousness, and we were told that their "Birthday Celebration Day" is on Tuesdays. Well, my birthday didn't fall on a Tuesday this year. It fell on a Monday. It may have been LAST Monday, but it was a Monday nevertheless. Back to the dessert. We shared the Dessert Sampler for Two which had mini versions of their chocolate souffle (OMG!), profiteroles, bread pudding and crepes. I would never order profiteroles, but theirs were so delish. They had the texture of almost a toasted brioche with some caramely/chocolatey sauce. So worth the calories. Hard to go wrong with chocolate souffle, and they brought it. It was so fab. The others were very good but nothing to write home about. The waiter (who was sweet, attentive and soooo cute in a "corrupt me" kind of way) brought me an additional profiterole...on a Monday...with a candle. What more can a Birthday Girl ask for?
The biggest drawback is the very uncomfortable entrance. It's confusing to even find the entrance, they tend to give you a little attitude about their design mishap and it's cramped and awkward.
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The food at Va de Vi compares to the italian restaurant Cafe Cozzolino in San Francisco.
Maybe I'm just completely spoiled by San Francisco food, but this is the top three worst places I have ever eaten at. The dishes had no real taste to it and the small plates don't mesh well together. I understand it was more of "world food", but they need to review the menu as a whole and take things out that don't combine well together.
For the quality and taste, the place was completely over-priced. I had five sticks of asparagus, five pieces of lamb meatball, half a bowl of spaghetti, and cod with two glasses of wine. The dinner amounted to a little over $70 with tip, which was a complete waste of money to be frank. I left completely upset and irritated.
We ended up going to Prima afterwards still hungry. I wished we went there instead, it's only a block away. The food there was delicious.
I came to Va de Vi for my dad's birthday dinner. I hear it can be tough to get reservations for this place, and now I think I know why. There's a real nice classy vibe to it which is likely to impress. The dishes are served tapas style, and the service was wonderful.
I selected the Duck Confit, which came with a couple little buns, very similar to roast duck you'd get at a Chinese restaurant. It was pretty good, but may be too close to Chinese roast duck for my liking.
I tried the Grilled Bavette Steak, though tasty, was a touch on the small side for my liking.. The pico de gallo style salsa was a nice tough.
One of the more unique dishes I tried was the crispy pork belly, it looked like it was deep fried and placed on top of a little rice cake like a little sushi roll. This one was one of my favorites.
You can't go wrong with most the stuff on their menu, but be prepared to drop a pretty penny. This is especially the case if you go for desert and wine, which is a must.
Even still, I can easily recommend Va de Vi, my experience was great and everyone should treat themselves to something nice every once in a while.
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To continue my birthday celebration, I skipped town and came to Concord. It just so happened that one of the restaurants on SFGate's top 100 is located in Walnut Creek so I immediately made dinner reservations.
This was my first time back in the area in about four years so I was completely blown away by Walnut Creek downtown. When I got back to the city, I promptly begged my mother to let me move into her condo in Concord. That didn't go over so well.
The original plan was to go back to my cousin's house and get ready there but her mother had left us stranded so we went to Macy's to kill time. I just so happened to have an extra dress with me so I let my cousin borrow it. We got ready in their dressing room. I forgot what time my reservations were at so we went over there at a little past 7:00. The place was completely packed when we got there. The host told us our table was almost ready so we patiently waited while looking at all the gorgeous food they were bringing out. The desserts looked incredible!
We were seated at 7:30. Our waitress was super nice and explained to us how the restaurant worked. I ordered the Poke Trio and my cousin ordered the Miso Beef Salad and this Tortellini dish. We thought we would have to end up ordering several more plates or that we would just go eat elsewhere afterwards since we know their portions were really small. That so wasn't the case. Thats never the case actually. I don't know about you but I always end up totally stuffed in these type of restaurants.
My entree was presented beautifully. My cousin's two orders came out first. She loved both of them. I tried some of the salad which was pretty good. Her pasta dish came with four tortellinis in sauce. My entree came with octopus, shrimp, and tuna tartare. Everything was so good! I'm in love with the plates they used.
For dessert, we got the dessert tasting for two. We saw photos of it on Yelp and we were really excited to get it. I really wanted the bread pudding and she wanted the chocolate soufflé and both items happened to be in the tasting. It also came with two profiteroles and some caramel tart. Neither of us really wanted the tart since it looked like it would put us in a sugar coma but it ended up being just the perfect amount of sweetness.
It ended up being $55 for both of us. I thought that was pretty reasonable. Everything we had was delicious and I love the way they presented it all. I really wanted to try the Cauliflower dish but I asked if I could have it without being fried but the waitress said that wouldn't work since it's marinated for 24 hours. I wish they had more than one bathroom stall. There was always a line. I also thought there was way too much ice in the water but I'm probably the only one with complaints about that. I hate ice and it makes it impossible for me to drink a lot of water.
I couldn't help but listen to everybody else's conversation. The tables are extremely close to each other. The table next to us obviously had a couple on their first date. That was pretty entertaining. I loved the lighting and the decor. It's really dim and everything is all woodsy.
I can't wait to come back here!
People thought this was:
upon my arrival, i was given a choice of chef''s counter (near kitchen, inside sitting or outdoor seating. i choose outside since the restaurant felt stuffy. inside dining has dim lighting, intimacy, and romantic overtones..(and hot!)
fine dining:
-squash & other veggies shooter(3)-thymne leaves with the look of split pea soup. bland, not a fan of soups.
-salmon placaneta(14) (wild alaskan salmon, with brookfield farm romano beans, shallots and thai curry sacue) salmon was dry and overcooked, not succulent. beans barely cooked, thus crunchy, a line of thai curry on plate. not impressed
-grilled pork ribs(13) (korean bbq-kalbi glaze, with spicy napa cabbage kim chee) meat was tender as was the bone.
dry, slightly burned, napa cabbage only mildly spicy.
-roasted alaskan black cod(14) (soy glaze, wasabi butter, potato cake, & ;ocean salad. black cod flaky, fresh, okay but not exceptional
ost succculent.
-blue moon(5) both beers didn't taste that fresh and seem kind of flat
-red stipe(5)
going uptown
- food a 2, service a 5. fusion a failure.
-tab placed inside book of gloria vanderbilt's "the mother's story".
-val de vi on chron's top 100 -5 years
-service, discreete, unobtrusive
-narrow seating arrangements inside restaurant, creaes intimacy
-flowing water on creamic wall near entrance, asian influence
- fusion? seems more like an itme from asian added to an item from western cuisine, building block style.
People thought this was:
Small place / small portion / bad feng sui [-2]
Tables are too close to each other, I could hear other table's conversation otherwise, the atmosphere is all right puts you in the right mood for some love making.
In upscale spots, regardless the sizes of the dish suppose every bite should be exquisite. Food was okay. I expected better. My date thought the food was delicious, but she did not pay the bill. [+1]
I am no wine specialist and my drinks tend to be heavy on single malt whiskey but yesterday we had a couple different glasses of wines. They were all very good. [+1]
Very good dessert. Nothing was over sweetened. [+2]
Open late in Walnut Creek [+2]
I'm starting to rethink the idea of moving east of the Caldecott Tunnel someday. If this restaurant is one of Walnut Creek's finest, then we could save a FORTUNE by not eating out so much.
Things started off on the wrong foot when the two blonde hostesses - one young, one not-so-young - "greeted" us at the door. No hello, just "Do you have reservations?". We didn't, but didn't think that it would be a problem - it was late afternoon, well before the dinner crowd, and the restaurant was only about 1/4 full. Nevertheless, the older one sighed and assigned us a table. We were then seated at the 2nd worst table in the place.
The food - eh. My problem with it was that it was just way too expensive for what we were getting. The fries, the gnocchi, the seafood sampler, the lamb meatballs - all of it was OK, but none of it was spectacular enough to warrant the cost. We just wanted a snack after shopping, and ended up spending over $70 for a few small plates and a taste of wine (that was one thing I did like - that you could order tastes of wine rather than a full glass).
Our waitress was nice. The bus boys were totally on it. It's always funny when the best thing about a restaurant is its bus boys.
As we left, the two hostesses stared at us as we walked out. I think one of them managed to bring herself to say "thank you" as we walked out the door, but I could be wrong.
The next time I'm hungry in Walnut Creek, I think I'll try to hold out until we're safely back on the Berkeley/Oakland side of the tunnel.
People thought this was:
Great presentation dishes! Similar to tapas type meals. We love sitting by the food preparation bar and watch the cooking action! Also recomend ordering the wine tasting flights trio and the desert sampler. I always enjoy this place with my "one and only" le.
You get to write a comment on some old books at the end of the meal...so far we never get the same book!
People thought this was:
This place is such a great treat to go to - before, after, or in between shopping, on a date, or just to hang out to let your troubles slip away.
Their wine flight was surprisingly generous and by the time I got around to the second glass, I had a good buzz going! Our server was friendly, offered some recommendations (but we strayed from his faves and ordered different items), and the ambiance relaxing.
We ordered the Lechon (four little cubes of pure fat, but my goodness, it was worth it), grilled asparagus (crisp, nicely grilled with a refreshing lemon sauce), ahi tartare (VERY good. I highly recommend!), and prawns adobo (your atypical adobo, but it was good nonetheless). To end the meal, we ordered the dessert combo with a mini chocolate souffle (pure heaven!), choco-caramel tart ( enticing!), huckleberry bread pudding (fulfilling!), and profiteroles (sooo good!). Combined with their best reds, we definitely had a great time.
Next time around, I plan to stay a while longer so I can simmer in my drink. I can't wait! Overall, a stellar place.
(minus one star for the booth seats being too close. The man at the next table got up twice to use the restroom and both times his a$$ slid-touch, or rather grazed across our table...ewww).
People thought this was:
Va de Vi was my favorite local restaurants until 2 weeks ago. I like the setting, the creativity and presentation of the food, the small plates and small glasses to sample a variety of foods and wines.
Yet last time we went, the service was real slow. Every grilled meat and fish we ordered was burnt, leaving a bad after taste in the mouth. I mentioned it the waiter, but the next dish came with burnt meat again. I called them the next day and left a voicemail, but my concern did not seem to bother them as I got no call back/apologies. Also the chocolate eruption cake was way too sweet and not strong enough in chocolate. Too bad...
People thought this was:
Awesome service by hostess, waiter & servers.
Hostess was accommodating in seating us from inside to outside with the pretty water fountain (serene & romantic atmosphere) we'd definitely prefer this instead of the being seated towards the back of the restaurant by their open kitchen.
Waiter was super helpful since it was our first time there - recommended different tapas and helped us worked through the menu. We ordered 4 dishes to start (which was plenty for the two of us already) - a corn side dish (the special of the day), a halibut entree, rosemary lamb skewers, and pomme frites. Everything was presented artistically and absolutely delicious. The halibut melted in my mouth like butter and the lamb was cooked perfectly paired with olive tapenade with roasted peppers.
Now comes dessert - seriously we're both sweets lovers so our waiter recommended the dessert sampler for two where the chefs choose 4 desserts of the day to sample. We got their chocolate souffle (it's to die for...seriously... this is a MUST if you love chocolate!), huckleberry bread pudding (normally not a bread pudding fan but really enjoyed this one - the balance of the tartness from the fruits and the sweetness worked well together), profiteroles (meh, I've had better), and dark chocolate torte (this was super bittersweet...).
Ending the night with leaving a note in one of their books (which is how they give you your check)...super sweet in my opinion to let all your guests write a note about their experience. I will definitely recommend this for anyone who wants to splurge for a night of good food & wine. ;) (We didn't try their wine because I had been sick earlier...and was unable to have any alcohol having just coming off the antibiotics...so will definitely go back to try their famous wine flights!)
Just had lunch here with our kids. We were off to a rough start because there was a change-up in the wait staff (shifts). Anyway once things got corrected the waiter quickly got us our food/drinks. Everything was good/great.
I've been here many, many times. I've never been let down, this was as close to "let down" as it gets...tell them something is wrong and they fix it. Great service.
Walnut Creek, CA
Category: Lounges
Walnut Creek, CA
Category: Italian
Walnut Creek, CA
Category: French
Pleasant Hill, CA
Category: Wine Bars
Walnut Creek, CA
Category: Italian
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