Vivo Kitchen

I really wanted to like Vivo Kitchen in Sewickley. The interior is hip, minimalist and so is the menu.

The quick presentation of a bread plate with spicy dipping sauce and cooling olive oil was the second thumbs up (after the atmosphere).

But, (wo)man cannot survive on bread alone (as much as she may try, ha!). My first course of a barbeque short rib was presented beautifully and tasted just as good. Coated in a sauce that made me miss summer and a grill, this bite of meat made me excited for the next course.

But, womp womp. Major let down! I ordered the butternut squash, which was to be filled with veggies (the menu promised mushrooms… which did not seem to appear on my plate) like carrots and asparagus, but it was really heavy on parsnips. The squash itself was tasty with the addition of a light, by my standards and the size of the squash, drizzle of tomato-y sauce, but once the sauce was gone, it was hard to get through. While the flavors were there (even if my mushrooms were not), the whole dish was cold. Cold. Unintentionally so. One of my dining companions ordered the same meal, but said meal was warm. Not a good misstep for a pretty pricey meal.

There was a lot of promise in these dishes, so I wouldn’t rule the place out, but I certainly wouldn’t make a dedicated trip. Fellow eatPGHer Sarah, however, had a decidedly different take on the restaurant. Going on a different day and time, Sarah was enchanted with the decor, the bread (obvi) and her meal of scallops, tomato mozz salad and cheese and caviar.

the presentation is really classy, no? excellent touch.

And perhaps, most importantly, the ladies’ restroom:

She also met the owner, whom she dubbed as “fabulous.”

So we both had somewhat different experiences. I border line liked it, Sarah liked it for sure. Lesson? Be prepared to spend a good amount of buckeroos, use the restrooms, and perhaps send your meal back if its chilly.