Vintage Kitchen - Downtown Norfolk

After a number of big disappointments in downtown dining, I was ready for something different. It has been 2-3 years since we last visited Vintage Kitchen. We were under-impressed on our last visit. It wasn't bad, it just didn't wow us. We booked a reservation through Open Table for lunch today, requesting a window seat. We were promptly greeted and led to a sunny window table with a sweeping view of the Elizabeth River. It was so nice to feel the warmth of the sun after all the cold, clouds and rain from recent weeks.

They have a great lunch menu.The one online is a bit outdated, as the current one has more choices. For starters we decided to share the Black And White Mac’ and Cheese With Truffle, Nutmeg, And Marshall Farms Cheddar $9. There was no need to take a vote on this one. Hands down best Mac and Cheese ever. Truffle can be a powerful flavor and is frequently overdone, ruining many a great dish. Not so here. This was rich and creamy decadence.  We would go there again and just get that. My main dish was Grilled Portobello and Gruyere with pesto on Focaccia $8.95. It came with a dill pickle slice and a bag of Route 11 chips. Delicious!

I (Alex here) ordered the soup du jour, a Roasted Red Pepper and Smoked Gouda combination. It was the biggest bowl of soup I have ever seen but managed to polish it off. Creamy but not too heavy and the amount of Gouda was just right, not overpowering. For once in this day and age, bread was served at the table. Two heated rolls rolled in a dash of salt and oil, a really nice touch.

As if that wasn't enough food, we decided to top it all off with dessert. A bittersweet chocolate mousse topped with sea salt caramel and peanut brittle $7.95. It was served in the cutest cup with heart handles. This too was delicious. The bittersweet of the chocolate overpowered the caramel and peanut brittle a little but, but it was still amazing. We had a similar dessert recently at California Pizza Kitchen, that blended caramel, sea salt and chocolate. It's a good combination. Service throughout was top notch. The decor is a clean contemporary. A calm, quiet atmosphere that lends itself well to conversation. It is quiet, but not the kind of quiet where you feel like your neighbors are hearing your every word. It is the kind of quiet where you can relax a little and not have to shout over music or racket from the kitchen.

We rolled out of Vintage Kitchen well fed and happy.

_Laine & Alex

Food-5
Service-5
Beverage-3
Restrooms-4
Value-4
Ambiance-4

Vintage Kitchen (Inside Dominion Tower)
999 Waterside Dr, Norfolk, VA 23510

Black And White Mac’ And Cheese