Vinnie's Steak House & Tavern

Went here with some friends for dinner.
We had reservations and were seated quickly.
The waitress was really good.
The atmosphere and decor is so so.
Wife is gluten free and they were pretty knowledgeable on that aspect.
Had spinach dip and calamari for apps, both were delicious.
I had the filet and lobster tail which was very good, steak and lobster tail were cooked perfectly.
Wife had the Salmon which was overcooked as well as her risotto.
The bill was pretty high, we had a couple of cocktails and it was north of 300.00.
Between the overcooked meal and the atmosphere, it brought the rating down to 3 stars.

What can I say? Vinnies has lost its luster.
I have been a devoted customer since it opened in the 1980s.
Back when Rose was owner.
Just in the last few years I have noticed the decline in class.
No more Sinatra, Martin on the background music.
People wearing shorts in the dining room for dinner.
Where's the elegance and class that there use to be? My husband's birthday was last night.
We always go to Vinnies on my birthday and his.
Mine was in February.
A month ago my husband and my son both ordered the Delmonico Ribeye.
One got a NY strip and one got the King Ribeye.
We were charged for 2 King ribeyes!! We brought it to servers attention, but it was not corrected.
Last night the first thing I noticed was the app of ahi tuna we ordered.
From just a month ago and last night, the ahi tuna has reduced by HALF.
My husband's meal and dessert came out more than 5 mins after the rest of the table.
We had 2 of our adult kids with us.
The food was great as always.
But getting very expensive.
Especially for ala carte.
I asked for Tavern menu and it was an act of congress to get.
After being told that it's not allowed in main dining by the manager.
I have ordered many times from the Tavern menu and never been told this.
This is over a span of 35 + years.
I'm handicapped and can't sit on the high pub chairs for dinner.
Anyway...the manager said because they were slow, she would allow me to order from that menu.
Shocked and embarrassed I didn't say anything at the time.
It was a special occasion and instead of complaining to one person there i want others to know of my experience.
I want whomever sees this at Vinnies to read it and re read it and consider making changes.
The female manager is not friendly and rolled her eyes as she walked by our table.
I'm dissapointed by what I have seen the last few times we have been.
We celebrate anniversaries, graduations, and various special occasions at vinnies.
My father who is now gone went to Vinnies when it opened too.
He was a well known man there.
I'm sure the chef remembers him.
The chef does a great job. Omar was a great waiter.
Between our last 2 visits we spent for 4 people around $900 on our dinners.
I'll add the photos from a month ago and last night here to show how the portion was cut in half and we were charged the same.
Lastly, they want your credit card when you make a reservation online.
Weird.
I'm going to think long and hard before we plan another visit.
I expect more.

My wife and I had dinner last night to celebrate my birthday.
It was a wonderful experience.
Our server, Valentina, was very friendly and on-the-ball at all times.
They first brought out the complimentary starter deviled eggs, which we found delicious and unique.
We began with an order of the okra which is only in-season at this time of year.
The portion was huge, so plan to share; the picture below shows an almost half-eaten portion.
Being from NC, I consider myself an okra aficionado, and this is the best I have ever eaten.
Then we shared the Beefsteak Tomato special, which was very fresh, unique, and wonderful.
I had the Delmonico steak -- prepared and seasoned perfectly, with just the right amount of crust on the surface of the steak.
Since it was my Birthday, they offered me a complimentary dessert, and I chose their Blueberry Crostini.
Chef Tom Armstrong came out to chat with us, answered all my wife's questions about how he makes the okra, and he shared how he visits the Farmers Market to pick out the vegetables personally.
He came back out after they delivered the Crostini to see how I liked it.
We had a fantastic time.
This is a very special place for special occasions.