Fine Dining: Vintabla - Tucson
Published by Karyn Zoldan March 23rd, 2007 in Fine Dining, Wines.Vintabla opened in Tucson about two months ago and has already raised the dining bar. Vintabla is a wine bar extraordinaire with small plates of New American food perfect for people who like to taste vs. eating a full meal.
First, it’s in new construction at Plaza Colonial across from La Encantada Shopping Center at Campbell and Skyline. The place is sleek and curvaceous at the same time with metals, veils, floating paintings, and young hip waitstaff.
Here you can have tastes of wine instead of glasses as well as small tastes of delicious food. I must disclose that I was dining with a restaurant reviewer and other food media (including myself) so we did receive one to one attention with the certified master sommelier who paired all the wines for us. We also got somewhat of a discount but still paid a hefty chunk of the bill. If you’re on a budget, this is not the place to dine. On a rainy weekday evening, this place was hopping and popping.
As a casual observer and taster and not-for-print reviewer, I wasn’t taking notes. So here goes to the best of my slightly buzzed ability…
We started with a sparkling rosé that would be a perfect summer drink. Our food came quickly and I believe on the table initially was miniature falafel with fried olives, a miniature eggplant and goat cheese pizza, tuna tartare, smoked salmon on potato pancake, out-of-this-world marinated olives, grilled lamb chops…shared amongst four people.
With that came a wine from Slovenia and a Tokai. Both were eloquent yet understated wines and beat a chardonnay any day. At some point a sparkling lambrusco appeared and it was so delicious that I thought I must rethink sparkling wines. Some other red wine was served but I cannot remember what it was. We also had a plate of salumi and cheeses.
I was not part of the dessert process, but oh, the results were wonderful - a chocolate ganache, toffee cake, and apple tart with cinnamon ice cream. Desserts were smaller than most desserts so between the four of us we may each had a spoonful which seemed to be just fine along with two wines - one that paired perfectly with the chocolate and the other with the apple/cinnamon.
All four of us were mightily impressed and I must say that’s not easy to do because we all write about food in the real world.
Not only can you buy wine by the taste and glass, but you can take some home too and not for outrageous prices. I may go back to get the lambrusca as it had a slight effervescence to it.
The menu is ambitious with a million choices and I wonder if they can keep that pace but only time will tell.
Right now Vintabla is a winner.
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5 Responses to “Fine Dining: Vintabla - Tucson”
- 1 Pingback on Mar 23rd, 2007 at 9:04 pm
Ok …as they say special treatment for special people. I guess we are NOT special people! The food, honestly trying way too hard on way too many things with a very poor result. We have now close to seven friends/parties who have dined at Vintabla that will never go back…the reasons are numerous but mostly that it uneventful, food bland due to non participation of owners/chefs, too many items, PRETENSION is first, last and middle name and nothing innovative. Word throughout the food and wine community is “sugar daddy” money behind flailling worn out culinary has beens but as they say ” put your mouth where your money is!’
Dsappointing. High-end prices without high-end food preparation or good starting materials–at least in what I ate. Overly-fibrous/indestructible corn and pancetta in the chowder–likewise for the spinach and onions in the side of spinach. Some of the lamb was even gristly.
NOTE: The eggplant pizza was quite good as was the warm chocolate cake. If you go there, I recommend you stick with the pizzas
With tip, the dinner for two of us came to $60 [without wine].
after reading the reviews of other so called “foodies”, i had to leave my take. I have been a chef for over 40 years in 9 countries. It’s no wonder tucson is not a culinary giant with all the no pallete ignorant people. vintabla may not be waffle house or denny’s that you all are accustomed to.
my experience was brillaint. the food blew anything in tucson out of the water. I didn’t have to ask for hasbrowns “chunked and puked on” like most Tucsonians relish in doing.
I didn’t have to gorge on one huge plate. The staff was beautiful, hip and young. I got expert advice on wine and pairings. The chefs/cooks were vibrant and talented. The menu was diverse yet easy to understand.
What do you people want?
Great food? double check
Great service? check
Great wine? double check
Great atmosphere? double check
Collection of culinary genius? triple check
(a master sommilier for god’s sake)
Hip, beauiful, intelligent servers and cooks? double check
Tucson, you don’t deserve a resturant like Vintabla. It’s for advanced people who enjoy the beauty of food, atmosphere and passion. But don’t worry, Furr’s cafeteria and IHOP are still here to serve you the “wonderful” food you people like.
I must admit, I was completely blown away by VinTabla. This was a great surprise, especially since it is such a rare one, and even more rare in Tucson. I honestly do not think Tucson understands this restaurant, and maybe never will, but at least those that crave this experience without having to travel to NY, SF and LV can now indulge as often as they like. The restaurant emphasizes the magic that food and wine take on when paired together with a little help from the knowledgeable staff. When was the last time you actually selected a wine you had never heard of to accompany your meal? What a fun break from the mundane experience so often encountered.
We just happened to have a superb visit, but I am sure there are some diners who experience idiosyncrasies as I cannot recall a single business that has zero errors. It happens and if you are one of those diners, you owe it to yourself to give any restaurant another try, especially one as driven to provide such an uncommon dining experience as VinTabla.
We cannot wait to return!!!!