Sometimes, it's all about expectations.
DH and I have been wanting to try dinner at Vic's on the River for a while now, and finally managed to the other night. I must admit - we both had low expectations. Vic's is located in a beautiful spot, right downtown on the Savannah river, but has a reputation for being heavily populated with tourists. And the last popular-with-tourists-but-not-so-much-with-locals restaurant we tried around here was so awful and so overpriced that it shall remain nameless. That said, Vic's is so well known we felt like we should really eat there to get a taste of it ourselves. (Pun intended, thank you very much).
Our expectations were lowered even a bit more when DH called for reservations. The conversation went like this:
DH: Hi, I'd like to make reservations for this evening.
Vic's: What time?
DH: Around 6:30.
Vic's: No, we don't have anything then.
DH: (silence, waiting for them to suggest an alternative time)
Vic's: (silence, apparently waiting for...who knows what)
DH: What do you have available?
Vic's: We could do 6:15.
DH to Vic's: We'll take it.
DH to me: That was weird.
Not a great start.
It didn't get any better when we were shown to our table, which very well may have been the worst table in the restaurant. Right in the middle of traffic, and awkwardly positioned so that anyone walking by would have to do a little Texas two-step not to trip over my seat. I asked for a different table, and the hostess said...no. However, I am nothing if not persistent, so when the waiter came by for the first time, I asked him for a different table. He was much more concerned with my happiness, and immediately moved us to a perfect little table right around the corner.
From there the evening was delightful. I was pleasantly surprised to find the extensive menu with very reasonable prices (I find Savannah restaurants a bit overpriced in general, but Vic's does not fall into that category). We had the calamari appetizer, wonderfully fresh and crisp salads, biscuits that I could live on for the rest of my life with butter and marmalade, crab cakes, sea scallops that practically melted in my mouth, and a bottle of fabulous pinot gris that just danced right along with all the seafood. The crab cakes and scallops were served with an amazing risotto, and my only regret is that I was far too full for dessert. Service was just right; we were given time to linger over each course, but not so much time that we felt neglected. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable, though not overly chatty. Total bill for 1 appetizer (big enough to share), 2 salads, 2 entrees, and a bottle of wine, including tax but not tip: $105.
I'm hereby declaring Vic's a must-hit for both locals and tourists. Happy eating!
