Vince's Ristorante

Fried ravioli is a wonderful appetizer, classic lasagna and great wine selection!

I flew up to Sacramento for the day for a meeting.  As a result of a meeting gone bad, I was thrown into a pick-up truck, and driven to a run down shack called Vince's Motel.  I think this hotel if it had any other names, would be called the No Tell Motel.  I was scared for my life.  I wasn't sure if I was going to be murdered, abused, or raped. They parked the truck in front of the motel and marched me to the side door where two women (hookers?) were hanging out, smoking a cigarette.  As soon as the women saw us, they went inside the door.  My mind was really racing now.  After they left, I saw the sign.  The sign said "Vince's Ristorante".  We followed the women into Vince's Ristorante.  

The interior of Vince's Ristorante was much like the exterior.  It did not look good at all.  I thought I was going to see the mafia in the ristorante, but, they weren't around.  Instead, I saw a restaurant full of patrons. We were seated promptly.  The waitress was good eye candy.  She was very friendly.  She touched me several times on the shoulder.  Okay, I admit, I liked her touch.  Because I was in a rush to eat and catch the next flight home, the waitress quickly took our order.  I ordered the half steak sandwich.  

The sandwich came with a side of soup.  I ordered the minestrone soup. It was one of the best minestrone soups that I have ever had.  It was not acid (sour).  It was good, and hit the spot.  

The half steak sandwich came out as an open faced sandwich on a toasted roll, and came with an order of steak fries.  I was impressed that the sandwich came with half a steak.  I'm not sure which half of the steak it was, or what kind of cut it was, but, the steak was well seasoned and cooked to perfection.  The roll that the sandwich came on was like cheese bread.  It made for a good sandwich.  

I was apprehensive about coming to this place when I first pulled into the parking lot.  But, don't let the seediness of the no tell motel fool you.  The restaurant is pretty good, at least if you order the minestrone soup and the steak sandwich.   They got me out of there in time to catch my flight back home.  3 1/2 stars.

Just in from Minneapolis and walked to Vince's Ristorante after checking in at our hotel. Went on the recommendation of my coworker and the three of us all had different dinners. Wow! What a surprise for me. Looks are deceiving! I was not expecting much from this humble appearing place, but the food, drinks and service were exceptional. The Bloody Mary's are not made from a bottled mix, rather it is their own fresh mix of real ground horseradish root, tomato juice, etc. My Filet Mignon (ordered rare) was served rare, wrapped in thick sliced bacon. I have never seen a Filet of that size in my life! It had to exceed the 16 oz claimed on the menu. No only that, but it was served rare with a wonderfully charred and crusty outside. It was deliciously tender and embarrassingly larger than my appetite so I will be enjoying the tasty remembrance tomorrow. I also ordered the spinach gnocchi with Alfredo sauce as my pasta side. A little risky, but well worth it! I am convinced that Vince's serves nothing that comes out of a can or bottle except the catsup. The gnocchi was perfectly done, with beautiful color and had just the right amount of garlic to be complemented by the creamy and buttery Alfredo sauce.  Lest I forget, both the salad and clam chowder soup, which were served before the entree, were unexpected delights as well. The homemade bleu cheese dressing is not to be missed! That on top a crisp greens along with garbanzo and kidney beans made a gorgeous appetizer with the fresh French bread. The soup was also the work of someone who takes pride in their craft. Even the Spumoni (also included) tasted exceptionally good.
As for my coworker's meals, the special of the day was the seafood manicotti and it was delicious, even for a person who doesn't normally love seafood. The other meal was the Land and Sea which came with a large and perfectly rare steak served with breaded shrimp. We all left with satisfied moans and smiles!
Lastly, our server, Cathy, was more than just friendly. She was a truly helpful and attentive host. I have grown to appreciate a server/host/bartender who knows and loves the establishment and is willing to voice preferences or opinions and Cathy was all that with a smile!
If your looking for Exceptional food, Italian or otherwise, look no further. Great food and drinks, friendly and engaging service, plus decent prices in a unassuming atmosphere!