Being in the food industry, I have wanted to eat at Vie for a very long time. Finally, I had that chance a couple of days ago. Of course, I had been reading a lot of hype about it for the past few years.

All in all, a positive and surprising experience.

First of all, I don’t know what I missed but it seemed like all the photos of the restaurant led me to believe it was one big open room. Not the case at all. There were a lot of interesting architectural elements to the room. It seemed modern and intimate at the same time.

Service. Impeccable. Waiters were totally tuned in to the program. Only nit pick–a busboy with too much cologne.

Wine. Great list with lots of interesting choices. Bonus–Monday nights are half-off bottles night.

Food. Fresh, seasonal, well seasoned and delicious. You would be hard pressed to find a menu as well written in the city of Chicago. I tried four appetizers, three middle courses, three entrees and three desserts. They were all delicious.

Bottom line. Meal was expensive. But. Compared to other meals of the same expense, was it worth it? Most definitely. Vie is in a league or a standard of its own. Other restaurants in Chicago (keep in mind this restaurant is not in Chicago) should try to compete with Vie (room, service and food).

How can they pull it off? The chef is there and has a vested interest in all areas of the operation. As long as the chef is there, his heart will be in it. I’m sorry you had such a negative experience but I’m sure you will give it another try.

I’m not sure if “presentation” is such an important element of this type of cuisine. Just as presentation is not so important at a place like Chez Panisse. These are places that expect the properly prepared ingredients to speak for themselves. And I also think that your photographs do not truly represent the integrity of the food. Granted, the restaurant is very dimly lit and a flash is essential. Flashes kind of ruin food photography in my opinion.

Oh well. Sorry, for such a long winded comment.