Food |
A Great New Look: Vueby Arthur Page |
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One of the Buffalo area’s greatest assets has nothing to do with a body of water, professional sports teams, great art galleries or world-class music. It’s not limited to a specific neighborhood, nor is access limited by financial barriers.
And, typically, it’s something visitors discover and rave about that home-towners often take for granted.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m talking about the vast array of very good restaurants—and I’ll bet there’s one not far from where you live.
I was reminded of that fact one recent evening when we traveled a short distance from home to visit the Vue at 5110 Main St., Williamsville, in the Walker Center.
The site of the former ZuZon Bar and Grill, Vue features three dining areas: one in the front room where the bar is located, the main dining room and a room suitable for private parties tucked off of the dining room. We were seated in the handsomely decorated main dining room, which has a view of the restaurant’s busy kitchen.
Vue, which has been open since June, is the first-time restaurant venture of owner Tim Mullett, who rolled up his sleeves and could be spotted working side by side with his kitchen staff. Chris Digati, whose previous positions include executive chef at the Radisson and sous chef at Fanny’s, is executive chef at Vue.
Unfortunately, something was amiss the night of our visit, reflected in the fact that three of the dishes we ordered did not exit the kitchen at a sufficient temperature to make them totally enjoyable. The fact that some dishes were heated properly while others weren’t hinted that problem was with synchronization in the kitchen, not with the servers. A friend at an adjoining table said she had the same experience with her entrée.
I can only hope we hit the restaurant on an “off” night, since the menu is very appealing and the quality of the food is very high. If that wasn’t the case, this not-so-minor point needs to be addressed.
The guest’s meal started off very well with an appetizer of homemade ravioli filled with goat cheese and served with a crimini mushroom broth and Parmesan cheese ($10). The goat cheese and mushroom broth provided a nice contrast in taste. For my appetizer, I ordered a bowl of creamy homemade crab chowder ($4), an evening special. It was tasty and the amount of crab was generous. Alas, it was tepid—and I made the mistake of not sending it back to the kitchen for re-warming.
The long list of dishes on the first-course section of the menu is topped by two unusual offerings: spicy roasted vegetable quesadilla featuring asparagus, spinach, red and yellow bell peppers and pepperjack cheese served with mango salsa, caramelized onions and guacamole ($9) and crispy mixed seafood (calamari, shrimp and lobster) served with four sauces: marinara, miso aïoli, sweet chili sauce and ginger aioli ($12). There also are seared scallops with sautéed wild mushrooms, spinach, lemon oil and champagne vinaigrette ($10), creamy soft polenta served with sautéed wild mushrooms and garlic, thyme and mushroom glace ($9), creamy lobster broth ($6) and two pizzas—portobello mushroom and grilled shrimp and tomatillo and smoked chicken, both at $9.
The guest’s salad, featuring Belgian endive, pear, Gorgonzola cheese, spiced walnuts and lemon vinaigrette ($9) was delicious and presented beautifully with the endive leaves resembling a water lily. My large, toasted goat cheese salad at ($11) featured field greens, Belgian endive, slices of roasted red and yellow pepper and was dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette. The cheese, which I think should have been toasted right before placement on the greens so it was warm and creamy, was tepid and I had our server take it back to the kitchen for rewarming.
The menu also includes a Caesar salad at $6 and enticing spicy marinated shrimp salad at $10 featuring shrimp, mango, avocado, red onions and a citrus vinaigrette ($10).
My entrée, lobster pasta ($16), was served piping hot and delicious. Fresh peas, arugula and lobster were served over cappellini with a tomato lobster broth. I would have loved some hearty bread to soak up ever last bit of the delicious broth. The guest selected crispy sea bass served over spinach with tomato and ginger, and green lentils and accompanied by a fragrant and delicious citrus broth ($23). It was a delicious combination, but the fact that the temperature of the fish was lukewarm detracted from the experience.
Other enticing entrées on the menu include smoked pork tenderloin served with wild mushrooms, soft polenta and cipollini onions ($16), a pan seared hanger steak served with potato purée, roasted root vegetables and bordelaise sauce ($18) and a chicken confit risotto with pablano peppers, cipollini onions, Dubliner cheese and herbed garlic butter ($14).
Both of our dessert selections were excellent. The guest declared his “lemon 2 ways” ($6) to be “delicious.” This unusual and refreshing dessert features frozen lemon soufflé and mango sorbet topped with a “citrus soup” featuring slices of orange and grapefruit. My peanut butter tart consisted of layers of chocolate ganache, peanut butter angalise on an Oreo cookie crust and was served cut into squares and accompanied by vanilla ice cream. Other desserts, at $6 and also prepared by Digati, include a crème brûlée, a mascarpone cheesecake and flourless chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and seasonal fruit.
Vue, which seats 153, is open for lunch and dinner from 11 am to 10 pm weekdays and dinner from 4 to 10 pm on Saturday. A late-night menu is available from 10 pm to midnight on Friday and Saturday. There is live music Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings. Reservations are recommended on Friday and Saturday.
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Issue Navigation> Issue Index > v4n47: W: The Incredible Shrinking Man (11/23/05) > A Great New Look: Vue This Week's Issue • Artvoice Daily • Events Calendar • Classifieds |
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