Dinner with Vince in Brooklyn

Steve and I have had many a good dining experience and plenty of enjoyable drinking and eating sessions with Vince & Chris, many of them on their lovely deck in Brooklyn. Today I’m going to note our night out at the Blue Ribbon restaurant, which was preceded by cocktails and appetizers chez Bielski. The night was Saturday March 26th, 2005, and it was probably one of the few times we all ate out without the toddlers (L&L), as Chris's Mum was at hand to look after them that evening.

If we could re-do a night to celebrate such a special occasion as Vince's 50th, it could be this one, not just for the good food and wine, but for the great company. Perhaps this time we could take the kids as they'd enjoy the fries? And I might suggest putting Matt Damon at the next table - as long as he's not filming the next Bourne movie.

That night we ate tasty fishes and meats, washed down with a hearty red Cahors wine, Chateau Lamartine, vintage 2001, (13% Alc.) We talked, we laughed and we got a little tipsy; there was a real buzz in the place, and it was coming from our table! I thought I’d add these ditties that we wrote down that night:


All: "The wine was fine, even if we ain't on the Rhine,
That line was fine oh wife of mine!"
Vince: "Matt, fat. Steve's cat."
Steve: "Vince da mac daddy after dat."
Chris: "It was him!"
Deborah: "Oh, why did Matt have to leave."

Vince is such good company - entertaining, funny and packed with interesting stories. He doesn’t allow meals to be rushed by ordering too quickly, but he doesn’t like slow service either. Dining, lunching or brunching with Vince is an enjoyable event; he would be one of the guests at my desert island dinner party.

We raise our glasses - "in Vinnie veritas."