Happy Birthday, Honey!

Guess who had a birthday last week? This guy.

We just happened to have a Groupon for Vincenzo's, so that's where we went for Tom's birthday dinner. Actually, it was our second visit; the first time we went to Vincenzo's was on our anniversary last year (also with a Groupon), and they gave us free dessert!

Oh, where to begin with this place? They really put their best foot forward in every area: 1) Location: It's in the middle of downtown, in a building that used to be a bank. Inside, the decor is fresh and modern while still holding onto some traditional Italian themes. 2) Staff: Depending on when you go, you may get to meet Vincenzo himself! He was the one who greeted us when we first arrived, and he was friendly and welcoming. The staff is dressed in tuxedos, and everyone is so helpful. I think they probably assume that most people won't be able to pronounce anything on the menu, but they're not snobbish about it at all. Also, there are burner tables on wheels placed all over the restaurant, which enables them to bring out your food still in the pan and plate it right there in front of you, just as an extra special little touch. 3) Food: Oh, the food...

Everything we've had at Vincenzo's is packed with flavor. My favorite entree is the Filetto di Vitello al Madeira, which is veal medallions stuffed with pancetta and smoked Gouda and topped with a Madeira wine sauce. Amazing! Veal seems to be the specialty here; the menu features five different veal entrees, which is unheard of anywhere else. This time around, Tom got the Vitello Saltimbocca, which was veal scaloppine topped with prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, and a white wine sauce. I ordered the Involtini di Vitello Sinatra: veal scaloppine wrapped around spinach, pine nuts, and raisins, with a Barolo wine sauce. As you may have guessed by the name, this dish was named after Frank Sinatra, but not only was it named after him; it was custom-made for him. When Old Blue Eyes did his last show in Louisville back in the 80s, Chef Agostino created this dish based on ingredients picked out by Sinatra himself. How cool is that?! And to boot, it tasted incredible.

Save room for dessert if at all possible because Vincenzo's tiramisu is the best around, and the serving size is big enough for two people to share. If tiramisu isn't your thing, don't worry; you've got plenty of other options. My favorite non-tiramisu item is a white chocolate mousse that is creamy and delicious.

Expect to pay a lot here (entree prices start around $30), but know that you are getting your money's worth. Thank you, Vincenzo's, for helping make Tom's birthday a great one!

Vincenzo's Italian Restaurant
150 S. 5th Street; Louisville, KY
Price tag: $$$$

My rating: 5 stars
Tom's rating: 5 stars
Combined rating: an enthusiastic 5 out of 5

New Life

So...I think I'd forgotten that this blog even existed. That is, until I checked it this morning and discovered that I haven't posted anything since December 2010...yikes.

Tom and I certainly haven't stopped going to restaurants; in fact, we go out more now than we did when I was writing regularly, thanks to Groupons and such. We're still in Louisville, which is a great city for dining out. We've had some great culinary experiences here, and I hate the idea of not getting to share them just because the experience may not have been centered around a special occasion. But life is not just the special occasions, is it? Of course not; it's the day-to-day! So I hereby declare this blog to be a true chronicle of "a life in meals" from this day forward!

[insert breath of fresh air here]

With a new format comes a few new features: 1) There's now a tab near the top of the page, entitled "The List." There you'll find a fairly extensive list of Louisville restaurants, with star ratings for the ones we've actually tried and dates next to the places I've already written about. Call it a bucket list, of sorts. 2) Tom will be getting in on the action and writing some posts too!

As we work through the list, we'll post about either a new place we've just visited or an old place we haven't described yet. We both love to write, and we've both been wanting to do more of it, so we're killing two birds with one stone because this is also something fun we can do together!

I also should mention: If you live in or have visited the Louisville area and somehow stumbled across this blog, I would love to hear your suggestions for places that aren't currently on the list. We're always looking for new places to try!

And away we go!