Vizion

To start, I had tried to call Friday evening to make a reservation only to be rebuffed by an answering machine telling me to leave my number so someone could call me back (annoying). I was concerned that we would not be able to get in on date-night, but my fears were allayed as we wheeled into the parking lot.

Located in a newer glass-and-metal building that is not a strip mall ( 5 points!), it’s trying its damnedest to maintain the aura of high-end exclusivity, with two valets standing at-the-ready. It seemed silly to have valets when there was plenty of parking surrounding the restaurant. We’re not talking downtown, here. We sped past the bored valets and parked a mere 50 feet from the restaurant door. When we walked in, the place was nearly empty.

The friendly hostess seated us immediately and we were promptly served cocktails. While there is no beer on tap, they have a selection of bottled beers and an extensive wine and martini menu. I started with a delightfully frothy Key Lime martini made with high-end c Rose’s lime juice and a liqueur that somehow managed to taste like a graham cracker crust.

Appetizers were decadent and delicious. My lobster tortellini came with four large cheese tortellini bathing in a pinkly beautiful, creamy, lobster bisque, with large chunks of succulent lobster floating on top. My partner ordered the special, a smoked salmon quesadilla. The portion was quite large, with delicious grilled tortillas sandwiching plenty of smoked salmon and havarti cheese, with a light tart yogurt dill sauce. They went overboard on the cheese, unfortunately, which obscured the taste of the salmon and left greasy puddles of melted cheese fat on the plate, and generally made the dish overwhelming. Other possibilities that we passed on included crab and lobster cakes, ahi tuna with papaya salsa, and sundried tomato asiago dip.

Our second course was a very nice wedge of romaine with pine nuts, yellow tomatoes that tasted farmers’ market fresh, blue cheese and a light vinaigrette. Not so nice was a soup special: a promising-sounding squash, roasted corn and walnut cream soup that was gelatinous and gritty with flour. The squash had a slightly sweet autumnal flavor, and the walnuts offered a salty spicy spike, but in the end it couldn’t compete with the leaden consistency. I had to stop after three spoonfuls.

For entrees, my partner went all out, ordering the crab-encrusted South African cold water lobster tails. Though not as glorious tasting as their Maine cousins, the tails were big and meaty. The crunchy garlicky crab-caked exterior might have been considered gilding the lily, but there were no complaints from us.

It’s unusual to see pheasant on a menu so I ordered it. The breast arrived in a black current sauce, which was delicious. Alas the bird was not. The white meat was tough, dry and overcooked. It’s challenging to cook pheasant properly – the small bird usually benefits from some sort of protective coating, such as bacon strips, while cooking. It’s wonderful to see unusual meats on a menu, though, so I hope the chef fiddles with the preparation to get it right. The pheasant came with a triangle of polenta with a cherry glaze. The consistency of the polenta was good – it was firm but moist – but the flavor was off, as if it had been cooked in stale oil.

Both meals were accompanied by whipped potatoes, which were dry and grainy and tasted like instant, as well as green beans and spherical baby carrots that were crisp, buttery and delicious.

Vizion also offers a number of flat bread pizzas, as well as a variety of steaks (the big honkin’17 oz. cowboy steak was recommended) chops (lamb and pork) seafood and some pasta dishes. Sides such as sherried crimini mushrooms and roasted asparagus can be ordered a la carte. The place doesn’t cater to vegetarians, but you can get by with the veggie flat bread pizzas, gnocchi, and extensive salad and side dish choices.

The desserts sounded luxe, with choices of apple tart, crème brulee, and sour cream pound cake among others, but I was too full after eating three rich courses to even contemplate big dessert. So, I departed from the menu, ordering their house made vanilla gelato with caramel sauce. The caramel was tasty but the gelato was gritty and flavorless. Good gelato, though lower than fat in ice cream, can still give you the full flavor and rich tongue-feel of ice cream, but this one missed the mark. Bad me for ordering off the menu.

The service was excellent throughout, with the server arriving at regular intervals to replenish wine and water when necessary. The house manager checked in on us several times as well. The server was knowledgeable about the menu and helpful in suggesting popular items as well as his own favorites, when asked.

There is a nice-size wine list – a lot of variety, but not a tome that requires translation by a sommelier (I didn’t ask for one and don’t know if they have one). We had a Groth sauvignon blanc, a crisp Nava Valley white that helped balance the richness of our entrees.

A note about the décor, which in early reviews was as much a highlight as the food. It makes a statement. The lounge, known as Vapour, is on the second floor -- a loft floating over the restaurant, looking out over two-story glass windows. The black marble floors and glass and metal architecture are softened by sheer silk curtains, and dove gray velvet high-backed dining chairs. The whole thing is anchored by a 25-foot glass-encased wine tower that soars up to the second floor. Some poor girl dubbed a “wine angel” must strap herself into a harness and get hoisted up to retrieve bottles beyond her petite reach. While we were there, a live jazz band played on the lounge level, with the music drifting down to the dining area, at times threatening to be too loud but never quite getting to be too much. With all of the hard surfaces and open spaces, it seemed that the place could be ear-splitting with a full house, but given the empty seats when we were there, it’s still just a theory. The place ostensibly sports an ice bar (missed it) and a lucite wall of ever-changing lights that was a dramatic touch, though it seemed a tad Miami-circa-1992 to me.

Bottom line: The place has promise. Now that the bloom is off the rose, maybe they can stop trying so hard to be cool and focus a little more on the food.

Location

Vizion
5252 E. 82nd St.
317-577-9570
Dinner, 7:45 pm, Friday, October 8, 2004

Ratings

Food:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Price: $$$$