Sunday, November 9, 2008

Vagabond

John and I went out on a great dinner date last weekend to a South Park restaurant called Vagabond. This was our first time visiting South Park but we had heard lots of things about the area and were impressed by the atmosphere. We were excited to try something new in an area that we had both never been to before. After arriving in SP, we immediately got the vibe that it was a cool hipster village where the local trendy folk hang out. We did not even think about making reservations, which we probably should have had, but luckily we were seated immediately in the bar area. The atmosphere was very Cost Plus World Market esque with eclectic goods decking the place. The service was excellent, we had a very friendly waitress who was eager to make us happy. Our meal consisted of an appetizer of asian-inspired Calamari that was delicious...the calamari was not fried either so that was a nice touch. John had the special which was a pluthera of seafood served over a bed or rice which he only ate half of because our appetizer was so big and yummy. Although he took his leftovers home, he left it in the car overnight so it was no good by the next afternoon when he remembered it. I had a dish that was a mix of chinese and peruvian flavors, it consisted of a really tender and flavorful beef with a hint of soy sauce and lots of peppers and onions, mine was also served with rice. The dish had many flavors and it definitely made my mouth happy. We also shared a bottle of Tempranillo from Spain which I was rather impressed with. This medium-intensity red wine paired very well with my dish and okay with John's. Overall, the atmosphere, quality of food and value for the money was above average. The bottle of wine was a great value for such a trendy place at only $30. Also, the entrees on the menu were reasonably priced and averaged about $20 (although John's meal was $32 becuase it was the special). Our bill came to a little over a hundred dollars and it was well worth the money. We would definitely visit Vagabond again the next time that were are entertaining hipsters or if we just want to eat somewhere trendy but next time we will not need an appetizer and hopefully not forget the food in the car ;).