"The meal was excellent: my compliments to the chef for a meal well done," said Joseph E. Regner, Jr., president and CEO of BankFIRST, who was dining with traditional French cuisine on West New England Avenue in Winter Park. "Everything was just delicious," added Regner.
Chez Vincent is a new addition to the recently renovated artsy West Side. Chef Vincent Gagliano, formerly of Café de France, and his wife Teri, opened the restaurant in August and already it is one of the places to dine in Winter Park.
Chez Vincent has the ambiance and casual, cosmopolitan atmosphere of a restaurant located in the heart of Paris. The service is impeccable and the decor is pleasing. The interior walls are painted in various hues of olive, taupe and cream and lovely Parisian scenes adorn the walls. Live greenery hangs from a planter by the door. The tables beckon with crystal and silver and spotless white tablecloths. A mural on the outside of the building reflects their logo of a elegant couple sharing a glass of fine wine.
However, no matter how impressive the decor, the food is the outstanding feature. Chef Vincent has put together a memorable array of soups, salads and entrees, either for an elegant dinner or a tasty lunch.
A recent lunch at Chez Vincent was excellent, said Barbara Francis, executive assistant and office manager of Due Blackman Architects on Park Avenue. Francis, long affiliated with the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival says she enjoys eating at many of Winter Park's fine restaurants. At Chez Vincent, Francis was impressed with the "superb service and courteous server."
"Everyone in our party of four ordered seafood which was delicately prepared and attractively presented," said Francis. "The dessert was worth saving a piece for," she added
Although all of the salads are delicious, Salade de Chevre chaud, a warm goat cheese salad with roasted pumpkin seeds, on a bed of mixed baby greens was outstanding. An other excellent choice is the Salade de canard - fume, smoked duck, breast, fresh mushrooms and walnuts over mixed baby lettuce served with Chefs dressing.
The luncheon entrees, accompanied with a house salad, include saumon aux framboises (fresh poached salmon with a sherry wine raspberry sauce). The salmon was tender and the sauce was extraordinary. Also at lunch try the grouper with sauteed onions tomatoes garlic and fresh basil in a white wine sauce or snapper with terragon white vermouth seafood fumet and a touch of cream. There is also sauteed chicken breast with mushrooms diced apples shallots calvado liqueur demi-glaze and a touch of cream (an excellent choice).
The Regners had the house specialty at dinner a gourmet plate prepared by Chef Vincent with tuna scallops and shrimp and coordinating sauces "an excellent choice" said Regner. The Filet Mignon au-Poivre, with cracked black pepper, shallots, cognac and a demi-glaze sauce was remarkable. Also available during the dinner hour is a gourmet plate of five meat selections with coordinating sauces.
An excellent wine list makes the meal complete.
And save room for he desserts as Francis stated worth saving a place for a statement worth repeating. The Gratin de Fruits Rouge a medley of berries in a warm pastry cream is a dessert lover's delight.
Finish off the luncheon or dinner with expresso, or cappuccino.
And on your way out the door, fully sated, relaxed and happy your server or Chef Vincent himself offers just a bit of sherry from an Eiffel Tower Decanter-a touch of elegance on the West Side of Winter Park. Go once and I guarantee you will go back again and again.
And by the way, many Winter Park people are discovering this touch of France in Winter Park, so in order not to be disappointed, be sure to call for reservations at (407) 599-2929.
Chez Vincent is located at 533 West New England Avenue in Winter Park just two blocks west of Park Avenue. Lunch and dinner is served Monday through Saturday.
