Vitor's Bistro

NOTE: I went for brunch, and don't claim to know anything about dinner offerings.

Pluses:  Reasonable prices, quality ingredients prepared flawlessly, VERY attentive staff.  Self-Serve coffee bar was clever with good offerings.

Minuses: No liquor license (more about that below), location deep into the west side is a haul for many, Bohemian feel of the building might not be for everyone (though I liked it).

If Mt Lookout Square and Northside had a love child, and it served brunch, this would be it.  Both my friend's french toast and my goetta were cooked EXACTLY the right way, which is testimony to the skill levels in the kitchen.  Indeed, this is a chef-driven restaurant rather than a business-driven business.  Vitor's has recently given up its liquor license (no Bloody Mary with that brunch, pity) because, at the admission of an employee whom I will not name, "Westsiders are unwilling to pay 'extra' to be served alcohol at a modest markup, and order so little of it that the 10k worth of insurance and licensing costs was unprofitable."  Instead, they have opted for corking fees for BYOB guests.  If this restaurant were anywhere east of I-75, they'd certainly more than recoup their additional real estate expenses, but Vitor (the chef/owner's actual name) seems committed to his neighborhood.  Don't worry--it's worth the trip, even if it means using a GPS to figure out how to navigate the journey.  Also worth noting:  They have a private dining room available for that group of 10 Saturday night dinner that's impossible to book in a restaurant without that amenity.

Disclaimer: I made a poor menu choice. Really poor. So I'm sure that has colored my review. I'll update after a few more trips.

To get it out of the way, I got the chef's special that morning, which was a fruit and cheese omelette. The waitress actually warned me against it (yes, really), but I didn't heed that warning. My mistake. Perhaps my palette is unrefined, but I just did not "get" it.

Luckily my wife had ordered the French Toast. She loved it, and I enjoyed my bites from it as well. Another highlight was the donut holes. They are a perfect appetizer with a delicious dipping sauce. A must get!

I was disappointed by the slow service. It seemed like we were always waiting for something. With such a small place, I expected more attentive service.

Another oddity is the parking lot. It's like a gravel no man's land back there. Pick out a spot and hope for the best.

I definitely want to give Vitor's another shot, but it's not high on my list at the moment.

LOVE this place.  Try it out