Trends in Dining
“The Vig”
By Karen Dawson
Living in Arcadia for nearly 12 years, I eagerly await new places to appear. Well, driving up 40th Street one afternoon, poof, there it was, The Vig, an unassuming little brick building with a spacious patio and outdoor fireplace at 40th Street and Indian School.
The Vig opened Jan. 10 and has potential. It is owned by long-time Valley restaurateurs Tucker Woodbury, formerly of That’s A Wrap and The Rocking Horse Saloon, and Jim Riley of The Blue Moose.
My friends and I returned for dinner the following evening and immediately liked the atmosphere, a slight industrial look with a diverse crowd and cozy bar.
We were all thrilled to find this new neighborhood gem, but the excitement somewhat faded with dinner. The menu read nicely but lacked in execution. For appetizers, our table shared artichoke dip ($8.95) and pasole ($7.75). The artichoke dip was lukewarm and overly salty. The pasole was described as pork Spanish stew served with a roll, but it was clearly soup. To add insult to injury, the roll was replaced by tortilla chips. When we asked our server about the missing rolls, the only explanation we were given was that it just happens sometimes. Hmmmm…
The chop chop salad ($8.95) was just so-so. It’s more or less a cobb salad; however, the chicken breast was left in one large piece. The poultry was difficult to cut and just plain unattractive.
The chicken manicotti entrée ($11.95), a panko-crusted chicken breast atop ricotta and basil-stuffed manicotti with marinara sauce, didn’t do it for me either. On the upside, the bistro tenderloin ($11.95) with garlic-mashed potatoes was properly cooked and flavorful, although the potatoes were too heavy on the garlic for my liking.
I gave The Vig a try for lunch with mixed emotions. I was left disappointed with a trio of bland hummus ($7.95). On the other hand, the Vig Azz Burger ($8.95), made from prime Angus beef, peppered bacon and smoked Gouda, was tasty. So was the French dip ($9.95), which is complemented by a honey port, rosemary jus. Lunchtime can get quite noisy, especially if it is a big sports day. There are several large screen TVs, and the speakers are cranked to deafening decibels. The bacci ball court provides a welcome break from the din.
The Vig is most assuredly destined to become one of the Camelback Corridor’s popular watering holes. As it should be. The faces are friendly, the atmosphere is buoyant, the prices are right, and it’s a charming nook of a place without the pretentiousness of some neighboring restaurants and wine bars (Come on, you all know where I mean.). There are considerable food kinks to be worked out – The food needs some better quality ingredients and more attention to detail. But as I look into my crystal restaurant ball, I believe good things are on the way for The Vig. I will revisit and follow up on some hopeful food progress. Also on the horizon, just next door to The Vig, Tucker and Jim are opening Moxie, a “burger joint” with homemade pressed, flat-grill burgers. No fancy schmancy burgers will be here. I’ll keep you posted.
Location: 4041 N. 40th St., Phoenix 85018
Hours: Mon.–Sun 11 a.m. to last call (1 or 2 a.m.)
Parking: Parking lot and adjacent lot
Atmosphere: Neighborhood friendly
Noise level: Very loud when busy
Dress: Post golf course to nice casual
Rating: *1/2
**** = Extraordinary
*** = Excellent
** = Good
* = Fair
None = Poor |
