Vin’tij: Ten Years of Happy Meals
10859 Emerald Coast Pkwy. #103, Destin, 650-9820
Hours: Open daily for lunch, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., dinner at 5 p.m.
Reservations: Accepted


By Bruce Collier
May 15, 2008 Issue

Vin’tij will mark its 10th anniversary this year. Fortunately, there’s plenty of champagne on the premises to celebrate. That, and a lot of other kinds of wine, available at the bar, at the table, or by bottle and case in the retail section. Vin’tij opened in 1998, originally planned as a “wine bar with wine-friendly hors d’oeuvres,” but soon established itself as a serious place for lunch and dinner. The menu varies, sometimes daily, though Chef John Jacob says he always has certain items available in some form or another. In addition to lunch and dinner every day, there’s a list of “light fare” suitable for wine tastings, and sushi on Friday and Saturday nights.

We ate at Vin’tij early on a weeknight, and by the time we left it was nearly full. The dining room contains a limited number of tables, mostly for two or four, though they can be consolidated. The color scheme tends toward the dark end of the palette, and the walls are hung with artwork, paintings mostly, mostly available for purchase. A long bar stands at one end, and the retail section is only steps away. Daily specials are chalked on a board, and wine “flights” of related vintages are always on offer, in addition to the regular list of wines by the glass and bottle. There’s also a selection of beers.

Our waiter brought us water, menus, and hot bread, which we dipped in olive oil from a bottle on the table. My friend’s eye was immediately drawn to the fish of the day - spice roasted swordfish loin with black beans and rice and a tomato relish.
I needed a little more time, mainly to decide whether to get something from land, or to go with fish. Jacob’s love for preparing fish is well-known.

We split an order of cornmeal-dusted pan-fried oysters. Six came (pretty good portion for a starter), four of them sitting on crostini spread with cream spinach, garnished with pickled red onion and sauced with lemon butter. They went quickly, washed down in my case with a glass of dry but fruity Sancerre. I kept the same glass through dinner. Having tasted the crisp, melting oysters and sweet-tart onion, I decided it was going to be an evening of fish for me, too. I ordered sweet molasses roast salmon, served on parmesan grits with lemon butter and a cucumber/red onion slaw.

Other starters that night were the day’s soup (chicken vegetable with saffron), shrimp and grits, seared scallops with polenta cake, and caprese salad. The house also offers pizzettes with assorted toppings, and salads with grilled mushrooms, roasted peppers, and goat cheese, or with Roquefort and roast pecans. I’ve tried some of the above on other occasions, and none is a wrong choice.

We had polished off the bread, and the waiter offered to bring more, but we declined. Good idea. The main courses arrived, and bread was forgotten. My friend’s swordfish was pale white and velvety, with just enough of a spice crust to accent, not overwhelm, the luscious fish. I later asked Jacob what his secret was on the texture. “Don’t overcook it,” he said.

My salmon was a hefty portion, cooked medium as ordered, lacquered with molasses and onions that were so well-caramelized I thought they were some kind of fruit. The cucumbers in the slaw were paper-thin, crunchy and tart, and the grits were smooth and pillowy soft. That’s right, buddy, I liked it.

Other main courses that night were grilled ribeye, pecan roast chicken breast, dijon roast pork tenderloin, crab cakes, seared yellowfin tuna, and pasta alla Bolognese, made with chicken.

Desserts get their own menu, along with dessert wines, including ports. We split a mocha crème brûlée, which offered that irresistible contrast between crunchy glazed sugar crust and cool and creamy coffee filling. Other desserts were house-made ice creams (varying daily), pecan pie, sauteed strawberries and lemon cake, flourless chocolate torte, and cheesecake. There may have been others, but I am working from memory on the sweets.

Vin’tij can be many things to many people - homey and welcoming, hip and trendy, or just a good place for a glass of wine and a snack. I’ve eaten there since they opened, and there’s no 10-year-old around I’d rather dine with. Many happy returns.

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