No :-( Jennifer's review (Sep 17th 2006)

Vin Rouge has been reviewed to death. Seems almost every local publication has critiqued or spotlighted the Lincoln Heights restaurant in the past few months. Most reviews were positive. Mostly, I’m assuming, because Vin Rouge is the kind of restaurant you’re suppose to like. Especially in Spokane. It’s Spokane fancy, like Downriver Grill, and to dis Vin Rouge is to appear uncultured in our little burg.

In any other city, Vin Rouge would just be another bistro. Another in a series of wine bars with decent food, casual style, red walls, and IKEA art. Other than the stonewashed denim clad servers, it’d be hard to distinguish Vin Rouge from any other Hill Crest, Belltown, or Hawthorne hot spot. Generic is the word that comes to mind.

And all this wouldn’t be so bad, necessarily, if it wasn’t for the posturing from the clientele. Pretending to know the wine list by heart, sniffing and sipping, comparing the small plates menu to the tapas of yore, critiquing the gin list. All in a boisterous and artificial way. Vin Rouge is a see and be seen kind of place. A place where Spokane women break out the floral pant sets and men don their best Costco shirts and cell phones. This isn’t the place to go for a quiet dinner without intrusions.
As for the food, I have no complaints. My risotto was risotto. My chicken was chicken. But my plate wasn’t something I thought about days later. I could have made the dish at home. And because of this, it’d be really difficult to justify spending money at Vin Rouge again.

No :-( Remi's review (Sep 14th 2006)

Why I have visited Vin Rouge three times might be better left unsaid. Maybe it’s the strip mall ambiance or maybe I’m just attracted to Costco Shirts, but I keep going back even though I’ve yet to have a truly satisfying meal there. It’s like an All My Children-style abusive relationship, just culinary style.

Anyway!

I decided to try the steak on my first visit. Now granted, I might be oversensitive when it comes to the doneness of meat (the “nazi” badge has been thrown out there) but when a $25 filet mignon is served well-done, then I feel like I have a reason to be slightly miffed. Particularly seeing that I ordered mine medium-rare. Strike one.

The next visit was part of the Tour de Duck. This time we asked what the chef’s recommended doneness was, and sure enough, “medium-rare,” as it should be. Yet when the meals arrived all four ducks were cooked to different levels, mine being well-done. The cheese grits were OK, but let’s face it; the whole experience will crash and burn if the main part of the meal isn’t properly prepared. Strike two.

Call me a sucker for punishment and you might be right, but I did actually give Vin Rouge a third chance. This time things were a bit better. My flank steak wasn’t prepared to medium-rare, but at least it was at least cooked to medium. It actually tasted pretty OK too, largely because of the quality sauce it was served with.

At this point I should probably use some baseball jargon, but I really don’t know enough about the sport to come up with anything. Sufficient to say: my experiences with Vin Rouge have been less than stellar, yet there might be a light in the end of the tunnel.

Would I give them a fourth chance? Maybe, but I will hold off a while until I do.

Yes :-) Stefan's review (May 5th 2006)

Vin Rouge: Samuel L. Jackson recommends the duck*

There was a lot that went wrong at Vin Rouge but when you’re a sucker for customer service like I am, then it doesn’t seem quite so bad.

It seems to me that Spokane hasn’t jumped on board the reservations bandwagon. Personally, I find reservations to be great. Sure it can be a slight nuisance to make a decision on where you are going to eat a day, or few hours ahead of time but it’s such a load off to know you aren’t going to have to wait in line when you get there. Anyhow everything went great with the reservation I just wanted to speak my mind about the benefits of reservations.

This was my second visit to Vin Rouge. The first time I went was just a week after they had opened and the place was packed. Everyone in my group’s food was slightly over cooked. It wasn’t burnt it just wasn’t cooked correctly. I thought that it was part of a busy night until my second visit. On my second visit I had the same issue.

Despite this problem I really think that great things are coming from Vin Rouge. The flavors are great and they really know how important it is to have good meat. They do seem to over cook it but hopefully they will get that under control sooner rather then later.

The service at Vin Rouge is fantastic. The waiters are very skilled and really do a great job of making suggestions without telling you what to order. There desert menu is also good.

Vin Rouge is a bit on the spendy side so expect to pay 35 dollars per person.

So what’s the dish?: Vin Rouge has a solid menu and just needs some fine tuning in the kitchen which is very typical of a new restaurant. It’s perfect for a date or for a night out with the parents. While its not quite an alternative to Luna yet it comes very close.

Vin Rouge is open from 11am to 11pm and is located at 3029 E. 29th Ave. You can call them (to make a reservation) at 535-8800.

*My waitress informed me that on a recent night out Samuel L. Jackson partook in some of Vin Rouge’s now famous duck. So like I always say If it’s good enough for Samuel L. Jackson it’s good enough for me.

No :-( Paul's review (May 22nd 2006)

Cook it until its dead. The seemingly universal adage for Spokane kitchens. I know why this is so, the public demands it; well at least most of the public, the ones that don’t understand that fish should be served medium rare. Still, every time I am served a plate north of $15 that tastes like it was both baked and nuked just for good measure, I shake my head. Must the standard always be “good for Spokane?” Apparently.

Service: scatted and inexperienced, pronounced glace “glayss”. Our server left us waiting more than 10 minutes after we indicated we were ready to order, then dropped off a wine bottle, didn’t open it and left again to put in our food order to the kitchen. The server didn’t remove the menus until prompted, but did happily take two plates away before a third diner was finished eating while pushing the desert menu. Major faux pas; are we at IHOP?. I suspect that with time this place can get it going, but there were way too many raw points to really say it was a successful dinner.

Food: All three of our fish entres were served overcooked: Salmon, Hallibut and a Scampi-style risotto. Serving size is modest but adequate, sauces generally good but runny. My Bok Choy was served grilled bone dry and wilted. It needs a glaze or something to prevent the wilting on the grill.

Happy hour looked pretty good and very resonable, and I would try again on that basis.

In short, inept servers that need some serious training and seasoning, food with potential but lacking fine dining credentials.

Yes :-) Tashi's review (Jul 7th 2006)

Everyone was very pleasant and knowledgeable – present when you wanted them, but not hovering, and the kitchen was hustling to get the food out (granted, it was only 6 pm so they weren’t hugely busy). When Jay commented on how much he liked his gnocci, the server discussed the tricks that the kitchen used to make it so fluffy and then went off to discuss exactly what types of cheeses were in it. (Goat cheese was the surprise ingredient).

On the food side, we just stopped in for a bite on the patio – so I had a large caesers, which was unremarkable, but inoffensive. Jay had a small portion of the same and the gnocci, which he just loved. Prices were quite reasonable – the small plate of gnocci is $6, I think, and the salads were $4/7.

They have a good wine list in terms of variety and pricing. Consider ordering a bottle and taking home what you don’t drink if there is something that appeals – the staff handled the request with grace, and we had better wine. Not much exciting beer wise, but there’s enough that you’ll find something you like. I think they only have 2 taps, but with a name like Vin Rouge, that’s not a surprise…

The patio is a bit loud, being on 29th, but they’ve done a good job with water features, flowers, etc, to make it a pleasant place. If the weather is nice, head out there.

Overall – a nice place in the neighborhood to stop by.

Yes :-) Anne's review (Jul 28th 2006)

We used “Dine and Dish” as an excuse to go back to Vin Rouge’s patio and have to say we came back even happier than our first two visits.

We have had three different servers and all are good (one rose to great!). All the wine we’ve tried have been great on the value for money exchange, and this time we’ve been trying the main dishes with good results. They do cook the duck a bit much, so if you want it rare to medium rare, tell them rare. The garnishings are pretty and tasty, and we appreciated the sauces to the side rather than smothering the meats. Jay’s pork and apples were fantastic and Nancy said her chicken breast with broccoli was perfection itself.

The patio’s noise level is better as the evening goes on – so expect some trucks passing by if you’re there at 6, but relative calm at 9, with gradations in between. If that bothers you, ask to sit near the water feature.

Yes :-) Kara's review (Sep 27th 2006)

I have eaten at Vin Rouge a few times and yes, it is considered by many in this town to be slightly upscale. My family really considers it to be excactly what it is: a casual neighborhood bistro. No need to dress up to be seen here.

I had the duck, as I order it on almost any menu I see it on. I found it to be a perfect medium rare with a sauce that was very nice, if a little bit on the usual side. I thought the cheese grits were a nice touch that you don’t often see in this part of the country. My husband’s steak was a touch overcooked like the other reviewers’ plates had been, but having worked in Spokane restaurants for a long time, I understand that here it is safer to be on the overcooked side of things than have guests accuse of trying to kill them with undercooked meat.

I thought their wine list was very nice, it had all the usual suspects on it, but the prices reflected a concern for value. I found all prices to be value driven, actually.
The service on our visits has been fantastic. Mike is a standout for them, for sure.

Overall, I found Vin Rouge to be just what the nieghborhood needs; a great place to stop and have a cocktail and bite to eat with out it being too fussy.

I don’t understand the comparisons to Luna, as I believe Luna to be an apple while Vin Rouge is an orange. But maybe because of the owners’ past work experience there, it cannot be helped.

No :-( kevin booth's review (Dec 22nd 2006)

OK-the food was good, which takes some skill and is something not every place can pull off. But the service (yes, another service rant)...oh boy. Anybody can provide good service-it’s a function of attitude and proper staffing. I am continually amazed at these wannabe fine-dining joints that scrimp on wait staff. I know it’s a tough business, but service is the EASY part. We had a party of eight in what passes for the bar, which is right in front of the serving area. I had to ask three times for the server to come over and check for food and drink orders-that is simply not acceptable.

Vin Rouge has obviously been designed by a professional decorator-the lighting and lamps, etc. are all very cool. But the artwork consists of blown up copies of a spirograph session. It’s the kind of crap you see when the designer is more concerned with color coordination than art. When there are so many starving artists in the area that kind if sanitized pabulum is again, unacceptable.

No :-( Colls's review (Jan 17th 2007)

We’ve been there three or four times since they opened and I’ve got to say, they write a better menu than they prepare. Each time we’ve visited the quality of the food has declined, but we remained hopeful until the recent duck encounter. The menu prose is promising and Samuel L. Jackson can’t be wrong so I ordered the duck. Instead of the crispy skin lacquered with black current glaze I got a gray, flabby slab of wiggly duck skin sitting atop a rock hard glob of cold cornmeal mush. Oh, it came rare, really rare. (Guess they’re reading the blogs.)The beautiful plating and stunning desserts are gone too. Vin Rouge promises more than they can deliver. Now that they have opened downtown and are rumored to be looking at elsewhere it looks like they are over reaching.

No :-( Molly's review (Sep 17th 2007)

They talk a good game, their menu looks unusual and interesting, but in the end it’s a just too expensive and not so good. I also got a bit of a snooty vibe from my server, which is never appreciated.

No :-( Jana Dubes's review (Jan 17th 2008)

The service was good. Ambiance was nice. However, my halibut was way overcooked (twice). It was my first experience at Vin Rouge and I am afraid it will be my last. At least the Chef was nice enough to buy my dinner.

Yes :-) Retired Chef's review (Apr 25th 2008)

Okay I’m going to buck the trend again. I have eaten at Vin Rouge 4 times, two lunches and two dinners. And while the d’cor is not much, I have had good to excellent experiences each time.

Vin Rouge does not try to be something it is not, which is refreshing, it is a converted fast food place that tries to be an unpretentious local neighborhood bistro and they exceed amazingly well at it. Perhaps my biggest areas where they do shine is the service has always been top-notch and friendly, while the food has always been prepared to the correct temperature; a extreme rarity in Spokane.

If Vin Rouge can keep this easy going feel about it, along with a menu that represents a high value for the money it will continue to be a popular spot. If I had to put my .02 I think that many people are expecting Vin Rouge to be a copy of Luna’s, they are not and do not even try to be in my estimation. Treat Vin Rouge like it is a simple neighborhood bistro and you will not be disappointed.

Yes :-) OutdoorGirl's review (May 21st 2008)

I can’t believe the negative reviews this place is getting! Although I’ve only been there once for dinner, I’ve been back repeatedly for lunch, and occasionally for breakfast. Lunch is my favorite, and I have to rave about their panini sandwiches. They have more flavor than Latah Bistro, which is receiving better reviews.

I love this place. And they do an excellent job with catering as well.

Yes :-) jenifer's review (Jun 24th 2008)

A self confessed food snob I am a regular at Vin Rouge. The prices are very reasonable, and other than repeatedly over cooked salmon everything has come out fantastic! Great creative menus change with the season, and finally somewhere that doesn’t accompany everything with garlic mashed potatoes or rosemary reds, how refreshing.

It is a neighborhood eatery offering a variety of dishes where each dish has sides designed for that particular dish, not the same veggies on every plate. Social Hour is the greatest! 6 appetizers to choose from ranging from $3-$6, a burger, a Gyro and a sandwich for $5 and a house draft or house choice red wine $4, eat, drink and me social without breaking the bank!......what more could you want. Friendly staff, could pay a little more attention to the guests and less to each other.

Hard to believe the same people are responsible for Hanger 57 :(