I've walked and driven past Vincent's a hundred times, always promising myself that I'd try it one day. It sits in an unassuming building on a beautiful block of St. Charles near S. Carrollton--right on the streetcar route. From the outside the place doesn't look like much, but the atmosphere inside is quite different. Like most Italian restaurants, you enter into a dim room, candles on each table. It is full of that Italian ambiance. At the table you are greeted with a cupful of biscotti-like bread sticks and some flavorful garlic butter to dip it in.
The menu is full of tough choices to be made. First off, they tantalize you with a list of mouthwatering appetizers (knowing full well that after you eat them you won't be able to finish off what is sure to be a delicious dinner). Their menu includes all of your traditional Italian pasta dishes, as well as chicken, seafood and veal options. All of the entrées come with salad and pasta as well, so you don't feel you have to choose a pasta dish. Each meal option comes with a suggested wine selection as well, which takes the guesswork out of things.
I have a true weakness for crab cakes, and the jumbo lump crab with a light breading and a creamy sauce were hard to pass up. They were most definitely not a disappointment--juicy and hearty with a sauce that complemented the richness of the dish. As for the side of pasta, my dinner-mates and I were far from disappointed as well. A friend who ordered the chicken parmesan (tasty with just the right amount of breading) got a side of spaghetti with marinara that was scrumptious. The rest of us at the table got a duo of a kind of broccoli pasta casserole and a pasta alfredo. The broccoli casserole, while being tasty, was a little on the rich side (especially when it comes as a side to such a rich dinner). The alfredo on the other hand was literally the best, creamiest (while still being light), most delicious sauce I have ever had. This pasta tasted like heaven. The sauce was not too salty or heavy--it was just right. I could have eaten an entire plate of it! It was downright delicious.
The other dish that was on the table was the roasted garlic chicken. While the chicken was very moist and juicy, we found the garlic to be overpowering. That's really the only nitpicking thing any of us could find to complain about! The prices were also on the higher side (my crab cakes being the most expensive of the night at $26). For three of us to eat, the final damage was around $80, but I'm not lying when I say that I think it's worth it!
I recommend this restaurant to anyone looking to eat some real Italian comfort food. I am certainly looking forward to going back there so that I can explore the menu further.
