Restaurant Review: Vincent

Eating at a french restaurant can be daunting to someone who cannot consume dairy. Could there possibly be anything on the menu for someone with lactose-intolerance? I cannot speak for every restaurant, but I will strongly confirm that Vincent of downtown Minneapolis is a winner in my book. The chef last night said that he could accommodate my diet with ANYTHING I chose from the menu.

Monday-Thursday from 5-9 p.m. they offer a 3 Course Prix Fixe Dinner Menu for $30 in addition to their usual menu of delicious entrees. When they confirmed that they could accommodate my diet with this prix fixe dinner, I was sold. As we waited for our meals to arrive, they served us a bread basket with bread that I could eat and even brought me some olive oil to dip it in since I could not partake in the butter!

The fancy salad and soup option that was listed for course #1 had dairy, so they allowed me to choose a different salad from the regular menu. Pictured is the salad I chose which was very delicious! This was called Baby Romaine Salad, Poached Quince, Pickled Ramps and Hazelnuts.

Of the two listed entrees, I chose Pan Seared Atlantic Cod, Confit of Mediterranean Vegetables, Bell Pepper Oil. I was informed that the cod was usually fried in butter, but for me they would use Olive Oil. This entree was to die for!!! The cod was lightly crusted and the vegetables had the most wonderful flavor. I've never had Bell Pepper Oil before and I'm sure that was what made this side dish so delicious! I ate every speck of food on my plate.

The final course was dessert. The choices were a cheese plate or strawberry cake. They told me that they would be happy to substitute a selection of homemade sorbets for me. They came out with three scoops - mango, strawberry and lemon, with a side of blueberry coulis. These were all very good, strawberry being my favorite by far. There were actual chunks of strawberry in the sorbet!

My husband enjoyed his dairy, eating from the regular menu. He ordered an appetizer of Escargots in Garlic Butter which he thoroughly enjoyed and for an entree Black Peppercorn Crusted Strip Sirloin, Steak Frites, Haricots Verts and a Green Peppercorn Sauce. His review was that the sirloin was amazing and the steak frites were a little dry. For dessert, he chose Three Creams: Crème Caramel, Crème Brûlée & Pot de Crème. He reported that the Creme Brulee was the best of the lot and that the Pot de Creme could have been a little better - maybe more of a chocolatey flavor.

Overall, a great experience from the bread basket all the way to dessert! Dairy-lovers and dairy-free eaters alike can enjoy a wonderful dining experience at Vincent.

Another "Hooray!" For Trader Joes

Mother's Day brunch at home was a complete success today and this has a lot to do with the mix pictured at the left...Trader Joe's Pancake & Waffle Mix. Practically everyone can eat from this mix whether you have a sensitivity to dairy/lactose, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, soy or corn...and it sure doesn't TASTE like you're skimping on the good stuff!

Make the mix as directed, add a little cinnamon and or/nutmeg, and pour the batter into a waffle maker. The results were just delicious....crispy yet chewy and a wonderful flavor that everyone enjoyed, not just the allergy/special diet crowd. Each waffle was very light, yet filling. Highly, highly recommended! The batter bowl was empty and everyone was asking for more.

The mix is made with sweet brown rice flour, tapioca flour, arrowroot flour, rice milk powder, cream of tartar, xantham gum, baking soda, sea salt and ground vanilla bean...nothing you can't pronounce and all natural! Also, for one serving it was .5 grams of fat and less than 1 gram of sugar. If you watch the toppings you add, you really don't have to feel any guilt.