Vivo Revisited

My first visit to Vivo in Chicago was for the Seghesio Wine Tasting event.  While I’ve driven up and down Randolph Street many times over the years, I had never really stopped into any of the really fine restaurants located there.  

Brief aside:  Just up the street is a dance studio that teaches swing dancing.  Since I am an old guy from the suburbs and having grown up in a religious household, dancing never was a big deal.  At my senior prom I watched as many others danced throughout the night but I only made the slow dances.  The best I could do is sway a little bit to a slow dance.   

Now, being newly single I thought it might a good idea to try some lessons.  Didn’t really help but I did have fun!  At least now when I show up at a wedding I get out on the dance floor and move around – still more than a little self-conscious – but enjoying myself all the same.

Now back to the blog.  At the wine tasting I didn’t really get a chance to see the menu or taste anything other than a few hors d’oeuvers and then I was still suffering some of the effects of the Novocain from my visit to the dentist earlier in the day (you can read all about it in my Novocain and Wine Tasting posts).

So when I was going to be in the city early for a new business presentation, I decided to stay and have a friend take the train to meet me before a scheduled concert at the Symphony Center in Chicago.  Now before you get the idea that I think I’m all that and a bag of chips, let me say that the CSO provides a wide range of music and their jazz series is simply phenomenal. (I love classical music, too.  But you can show up at the concert in jeans as much as a suit and bow tie.)

On this Wednesday night Pink Martini was playing to a packed house. Usually with traffic we’re lucky to get to throw down some basic Bennigan’s food and maybe a Black and Tan if I’m lucky.  So tonight was a real treat when my friend made reservations for 6:15 at Vivo. 

After picking her up from Union Station, which took quite a bit of navigation around the one-way streets, we made it easily to Vivo without too much hassle.  Once inside, I got my first real look at the restaurant.  It should be a really nice place to visit when the weather warms as they have a number of tables on the sidewalk.  The dining room isn’t huge (the bar is on the second floor) but it’s well laid out. 

There’s even a private dining area for up to six that is in the “Elevator.”   Apparently this was a favorite spot for Michael Jordan and Oprah when eating at the restaurant.

They have a wonderful and extensive wine list both by the glass and by the bottle.  After perusing the menu I decided I wasn’t going to venture too far from the unknown so I ordered a 2009 Seghesio Old Vine Zinfandel.  This wine (although an earlier vintage) did more to pique my interest in really good wines than any other. 

I decided to go that route because I planned on having the lamb chops.  My friend decided upon one of their truly great pastas – Linguine Nere alla Polpa di Granchio, a black pasta with crab – based on the strong recommendations from our waiter.  Even the incorrigible Gordon Ramsey would have been impressed with his knowledge of the menu and ability to recommend the specials.

We started the meal off with their cheese plate of the day. The soft cheese was slightly warmed to make it even more spreadable. It was a delightful way to start off the evening. The cheese was similar to Kasseri, though in the rush I didn’t catch the name.

The Old Vine Zinfandel from Seghesio was the perfect choice for dinner.  The 2009 vintage was rated a 92 by Wine Spectator and a 94 by Wine Enthusiast but ratings don’t really tell the whole story.  The story of a wine is found in the glass.  Scores are often based on what other people taste and the only score that really matters is yours based on your own palate. 

I love Seghesio’s Old Vine Zinfandel – of any vintage regardless of score.  It was a wine I tasted in 1999 that really hit my palate and knocked my socks off.  Well, not literally, it was an office Christmas party after all.  I love the complexity of the Old Vine Zins and the Seghesio release, in my opinion, is the best. 

My first thought in 1999 and matched again the other night is that you could almost taste the dust on the grapes as they were being processed.  As I mentioned before, my palate isn’t really all that sophisticated. But I know what I like and this is among my favorites.  There’s something special that happens when a vine surpasses 50 years of giving delightful grapes.

And in the hands of a master winemaker like Ted Seghesio and winegrower like Pete Seghesio, these vines deliver fruit that is destined to make great wines. 

When the lamb chops arrived, they were perfectly cooked.  Meat shouldn’t be cooked to death in my opinion.  Lamb is best served rare to medium rare at most and the chef nailed it.  It came with three large double chops sitting on a bed of spinach with a red grape balsamic reduction.  The rosemary potatoes were delicious.  I like rosemary even if it is a little overpowering at times.

I did have the opportunity to taste some of the pasta and it was delicious, too.  From what I tasted you can’t really miss with any of the choices on the menu.  We didn’t have too much time so didn’t try any of the deserts but I can only guess they’re delicious.

After dinner while waiting for the car to come back, we took a walk around the neighborhood and I was surprised by a number of the restaurants I knew but didn’t know they were on this street.  I know I’ll be heading back to Randolph Street again and again.

After a truly phenomenal dinner enhanced by the Seghesio Old Vine Zinfandel, we headed to the concert for what I thought would be a nice concert.  It wasn’t what I expected.  It was a wonderful concert. Fun. Wacky. With audience participation no less. 

I had seen Pink Martini at Ravinia last year and found their interpretations of jazz classics to be fun and really enjoyable.  Tonight was no less a treat. 

They have a very eclectic style and vibrancy you don't often see on the stage of Symphony Hall.  When the founder traded in his political ambitions for music, the world became a more enjoyable place.

Tonight included not only the group but involved a little audience participation.  When the music called for playing of of a Shubert piece for 4 hands, a young woman from the balcony was brought into the concert to play and then stayed on stage playing percussion with the band.

When the band was looking for some people of Turkish origin, the stage added five new voices to sing along with a traditional Turkish song.  It made for a completely enjoyable performance.  High energy and driving jazz made for a great evening.  It was sort of like Elton John meets Duke Ellington in a way.

After navigating the construction in the city, we headed back from the greatest city in the world with great memories of food, wine and music that will last for a long time to come.  And I'll be sure to be in line when tickets open up for Pink Martini again.