Vinci -- Why This Place Was Empty is Beyond Me

Last Friday my wife and I ventured back into the old 'hood for an evening at an old-neighborhood favorite, Vinci. I'm happy to report that neither the food, nor the service, were disappointing -- which easily could've been the case given our memories of past meals enjoyed there. However, I was a bit surprised by the fact that we walked in -- at 7:30pm on a Friday night -- and immediately were seated in a restaurant that was only about a quarter full.

Perhaps I've grown accustomed to the lunacy of dining out in downtown Naperville on the weekends, but I was fully expecting a 30-45 min. wait at Vinci on a Friday night. Why this place was more than 1/2 empty is beyond me. IMO, the food and service compare favorably to other high-end Italian places, including Cafe Spiaggia, and the prices are fairly reasonable.

On to the food -- we started with the polenta, a Vinci classic and very well-prepared. I also had the grilled calamari, which was flavorful and served with a nice fennel salad. For my entree (regrettably I skipped a pasta course) I had the flatiron steak. It wasn't the best entree I've had there, but it was very well-prepared -- medium rare and enhanced by a liberal amount of extra virgin olive oil. My wife had her favorite -- hand-made spinach and ricotta ravioli with brown butter sage sauce. The service was professional and attentive, and the $38 bottle of Chianti Classico tasty.

I should state, for the record, that I have no connection to the restaurant (other than a sentimental one -- we had our rehearsal dinner there prior to getting married up the street) and I am not a "shill." However, I was quite sad to see the restaurant so slow on a weekend night, and I'd be very upset if it closed its doors. I realize that there is a lot of competition these days, but Vinci can stand up to its competitors. I sure hope we caught them on an "off night."

http://www.vincichicago.com/

The Wife and I went to Vinci a number of times in the early 90s, and I wonder if it the lack of business isn't simply the case of a restaurant getting older and, perhaps, a little tired. Plus, there seem to be a number of Italian places opening, meaning more competition for the Italian dining dollar.

I remember for what seemed like several years, Vinci was one of the only places around serving the (at the time) highly exotic portobello mushroom.

Hammond

I have a hunch as to why Vinci was so empty at 7:30. Vinci is located a block or two from Steppenwolf. According to Steppenwolf's website, at least right now, "The Unmentionables" has a 7:30 curtain and "100 Saints You Should Know" has an 8:00 curtain. If those plays and curtain times were the same last Friday, dollars to donuts Vinci (and every other restaurant in the area, other than possibly Alinea) was swarming with customers just minutes before you arrived. Try making a 6:30 reservation (or walk-in) this Friday or Saturday and see how your experience differs!

(P.S. I have only been to Vinci once, five years ago, but that polenta still stands out in my memory as excellent. Are they still doing the deal where every 100,000th polenta-orderer (or whatever the number is) gets a free trip to Italy?)

Besides the polenta, it seems to me they also used to trumpet all the risotto they had served. Funny that volume marketing has stuck with me, even though I never actually have been.

Ron, after posting for so long, why would you feel it necessary to disclaim being a shill? After all those posts, you have proven yourself! Relax, enjoy, eat well, and post.

dicksond, thanks for the kind words. I guess it's pretty obvious that I'm not a shill, but I don't usually make a blatant recommendation in this manner (and, with all the excitement about Honey1 BBQ earlier in the week, guess I was a little self-conscious).

At any rate, they still do have prizes associated with the numbered polentas. I believe that for every 10,000th order, they award the trip to Italy.

Also, it seems entirely possible that we could've just missed the pre-theater crowd. However, it struck me as odd (and as a sign that they may be struggling) that the place seemed so deserted on a Friday night.

I don't have much to add beyond what has already been said other than that I like Vinci a lot and it was a staple of our back in our Lincoln Park days. Have also had friends that had their wedding rehearsal dinner there and the service and food is always top-notch. I like the bar!!

Ron A. wrote:
At any rate, they still do have prizes associated with the numbered polentas. I believe that for every 10,000th order, they award the trip to Italy.

You know, we eat there a lot and I never knew this. Someone got a little card with her order when we were there on Sunday, and I had no idea, but it looked like a number card. Like that place that tells you how many weeks the cassoulet has been cooking....

And they are pretty busy pre-theater and not terribly busy afterwards. We were there on Wednesday at 7 pm for a wine dinner, and the place was bustling. When we left at 9 pm, very quiet.

We like it a lot. I'd say it definitely compares well to other Italian places I've been to. I put up a note about it earlier this week (if anybody sounds like a shill on this place it's probably me!)

I like Vinci's corkage policy: 10 years old and it's free corkage!

Our wine group has been having dinners there since 2000 and the food has always been second to the wine and that's OK with us. We tend to order about 4 or 5 courses BUT we all don't order a course, we pass two to three dishes per course so everyone gets to try everything and no one gets too full. we always book a table AFTER the pre-theatre crowd exits. Great staff and wonderful wine service BYO bottles are treated just as well as those ordered off the list.

just a fan of the restaurant!

Mel

I agree with the Kudos for Vinci. In fact, I think that Vinci rivals many to most of the restaurants in Little Italy (although I am partial to Rosals). What really impresses me is the fact that the restaurant group produced top-of-the-line restaurants for both Italian (Vinci) and Mexican (Adobo). Also, for the light eater, I like the fact that you can order half-portions of any of the pastas that they offer (although I won't be caught doing such a thing). I agree that the place is an early-bird joint...I've seen it absolutely hopping at 6:30 before a Steppenwolf/Royal George show. Solid overall.