5 /5 A Houston: Okay, where do I begin. We went here tonight for New Years Eve celebration. We made a reservation and were seated at a two-person table (perfect). I have been here one time before. When I found out they were having a NYE celebration I decided to take the hubby here. Background: my hubby and I are Houston transplants. Im from Germany and hes from the East coast. I have lived here for 20 years, and often yearn to go back to the East coast or back to Europe because Houston (or surrounding area) absolutely lacks in "chill" lounge spots. Houston restaurants either have great ambiance but lack in great food--often paying high dollar for mediocre at best food. They all lack that certain je ne sai quoi.
This place is giving me chill vibes + EXQUISITE food+great service! Such a rarity. The food here is on top chef scale. We had the three course meal $65/person. We selected the pork belly app, filet mignon with shrimp and broccolini, and for dessert the bananas foster. OMG, each course played like an orchestra on my palette. Each meal carefully thought out and executed with a skillful hand. Kuddos to the chef! Each bite was a crescendo to the previous bite. The filet mignon was absolute perfection! The bananas foster bread pudding made me want to "slap my grandmama," yal! REAL TALK. After one bite of the foster with the soft, almost smoky subtle hint of bourbon glaze, I seriously leaned back in my chair, rolled my eyes to the back of my head, and took a breath whispering, "Dammn, dammmmn, dammmmn!" (In my Florida Evans voice!) LOL I was in heaven!
We are BIG time foodies and when we give a restaurant 5 stars ---that restaurant truly had to be spectacular! Our server was funny, attentive, yet not overbearing. The host was wonderful. And OHHHHH the DJ was KILLIN it! Playin all the old cuts: Earth Wind and Fire, Groove Theory, Zhane...JAMMIN!!! This vibe is sooooo NYC. Do your thang DJ! We wanted to stay longer, but we didnt want to drive too late with these crazy drivers in H-town.
Another plus: they dimmed the lights so you could catch the sparkling lights out front. Truly set the mood. Forgot to mention you could dine outdoors as well. They opened the bar window for outdoor bar if you chose to sit there. There was plenty of room both outdoor and indoors.
So heres the "I dunno part..." The waiter informed us that they bought the space next door. So they could expand. Thats good and bad. Heres why. What makes this place so great, is that it is so quaint--again very NYC. The acoustics flow nicely and are not over powering so you can still jam in your seat and still hold a conversation without shouting across the table. It feels so cozy. Also the chef(s) are able to make things fresh and pay attention to details. Im afraid if it gets big, in order to accommodate they will have to cut back on freshly crafted foods and the whole entire dining experience, including food quality, will quickly begin to decline like most places. Hopefully they will find a way to keep the two rooms separate with a small opening to keep the quaintness and chill vibe that V&V currently has. More people more noise and acoustics will bounce around in a large space. I know this too well. Too many restaurants think larger is better and it is not always the case. Now, I am COMPLETELY projecting here. If done correctly, they will maintain high standards of quality foods, and not lose the ambiance. This is why people like it here (read the reviews, people love the quaintness). This is why we love it here. We will come back again, and again and again!
Kuddos to the owner, the DJ, the chef(s) hosts and wait staff! You are Houston / Sugar Land Excellence! Well done and well deserved!
Side note: If you didnt know you can buy vinyl here too (hence the name), they had all the old cuts. We bought a De La Soul album to jump start our new year! Thank you guys for making our evening so great! Happy New Year! Many blessings...