• Seafood Cappuccino (Crab Custard with Lobster Broth) $8.95
• Black Sea Bass with lentils and Mushroom Consomme $24.00
• Camembert and Truffle Strudel $5.95

Swoon, swoon, swoon. I have never met Vincent, the chef of Vincent, but I am pretty sure I would love him. Not enough to leave Steve, of course. I am not even sure words can describe the meal, but I will give it a try.

The appetizer was good, very rich, very creative. I am not sure it was the best thing I have ever had, but it was great. The entree was wow. Everything about it was amazing. The fish was perfectly done and I mean perfectly. I sometimes say perfectly done in other reviews, but now knowing what perfect actually is, I think some of them may not have been so perfect. The fish was crispy on the flat sides and amazingly tender on the inside. It was served with lentils, which I have never been a fan of. I know they are good for me and all that, but to actually make them to taste like they are worth eating, it had not been done. But this was amazing. At first I thought the lentils were there to keep the fish out of the broth, so it stayed crispy. While they did help accomplish that, they were also an amazing part of the meal. I ate every last one of them, they were that good. They also had these great little squashes that added both visual and taste appeal. I really cannot say enough about the dish. So I will stop there.

For dessert, or should I say the cheese course. How cool is that? With all the restaurants I have been to, have I ever seen a cheese course after the meal. No! I have seem some cheese plates for appetizers, but never after the entree. It was a camembert and truffle strudel and it was amazing. I let Steve have a bite, it was not terribly big, and he took almost a quarter of it, which may have been a little rude in general, but the only thing that kept me from leaping across the table and taking the fork away from him, was the fact that it was his birthday dinner, so I let it go. But I really missed that bite of the strudel.

This is one of those places that I would be comfortable going and saying cook whatever you want for me and I know it would be good. They have a section of the menu for strange items and that night it was tongue. Well any other place I would not touch it with a ten foot pole. But here knowing what I know now, I think I may just order it, because I know it would be great.

Update: Feb 13, 2011

We usually don't do updates mainly because we rarely go back to a restaurant since there are so many new ones to try. But in this case I thought it might be worth an update. Over the years I have gone back for lunch and for happy hour, both have always pleased...really what is not to love about sparkling wine cocktails paired with a burger? But we had not been back for dinner, until now. Steve surprised me for my birthday with a reservation here and it was truely a beautiful evening. We both went with the pre fixe meal paired with wine.

The menu was

• Sunchoke/Porcini Soup with Shaved Smoked Duck Prosciutto
• Bibb Lettuce Salad with Yellow Beets, Chervil, Cracked Hazelnuts, Dijon Mustard/Parmesan Cheese Dressing
• Chestnut Flour Ravioli Filled with Butternut Squash & Reggiano Cheese, Sage and Aged Sherry Vinegar Sauce
• Poached Sole in Ginger Broth with Roasted Fennel, Quince, Laughing Bird Shrimp & Tangerine Oil
• Pan Seared Beef Tenderloin with Jerusalem Artichoke Puree, Oyster Mushrooms & Pommes Frites and Tarragon Peppercorn Beef Jus
• Chocolate heart shell filled with pistachio mousse and a strawberries

And it was still as good as last time, I was again in a swoon throughout the meal. I am not sure why you rarely hear about Vincent's as one of the top restaurants in the city, but quietly it continues to do some of the best food in Minneapolis.

• Beet Carpaccio $6.95
• Filet with Gorgonzola Sauce and Port Wine Reduction $28.00
• Cranberry and Apple Tart with Thyme infused Sour Cream Ice Cream $5.95

When you’re calling a restaurant and the host/hostess asks if you’re celebrating a special occasion, and you respond that you’re celebrating a birthday, you expect the special occasion to be acknowledged. Perhaps you might expect them to write it down. Perhaps you would get a complimentary dessert. Perhaps you would get an appetizer or a salad or a free drink. Perhaps you might get your choice of tables. Perhaps you might not get stuck at a table by the kitchen in a half-empty restaurant. Perhaps someone might wish you a happy birthday.

After as much as I heard about Vincent, I was sorely disappointed. I asked for a recommendation from the server on a good first course or salad; I asked for something different. She recommended the beet carpaccio, which was fine, but I’ve had the same thing elsewhere, and this was not distinguishingly better. I can only conclude that the server should not be touting beet carpaccio as their signature dish.

Things did improve when I decided to have the filet with gorgonzola and port wine reduction. The filet was outstanding, probably the best I’ll have all year. The gorgonzola and port wine reduction added serious side notes to a flavorful steak. The entrée was served with fresh beans that contrasted the tender texture of the steak.

The cranberry and apple tart was fantastic, though a simpler ice cream would have been better. It was apparent to me that the focus of the restaurant was on their entrees and other areas of the meal suffered.