The first thing you’ll notice about La Vite is how popular it is with the neighborhood. I’ve never been in or walked by without seeing the dining room filled with groups of laughing women enjoying pasta and salads. It seems to be a major wife and mom lunch hangout, and with good reason – the food’s delicious and the atmosphere is friendly and comfortable.
Every meal begins with some of the house made bread with balsamic and olive oil.
The steak salad was fantastic. The beef and veggies were marinated and cooked perfectly – every scrap was devoured. The mushrooms were particularly good, and the salad was a nice mix of sweet chard and cheese. I would definitely have this dish again.
The citronade I ordered had candied shreds of orange peel garnish – though I’m not used to eating orange peel, I will say the little pieces of rind were pleasantly tender and sweet. It was an interesting and delicious drink. I imagine it would be even better in the summer heat.
Eric’s set came with a side salad and Americano. The dressing was citris with balsamic drizzle and the greens were made up of the same sweet chard. The coffee was pretty good – each cup was made in the single serving drip style.
The other half of the set was the mushroom risotto with several kinds of mushroom and scattered green beans. It was super rich and filling. The risotto itself was cooked well and provided a nice texture, and the collection of mushrooms were delicious.
On a previous visit, we had the margherita pizza and the apple,walnut, cranberry and Camembert cheese salad. The half moon of “naan” served with the salad was very good, and the fruit and cheese were a tasty combination. The margherita was pretty decent, but I’d recommend trying one of La Vite’s amazing salads or delicious risottos on a first visit.
La Vite is a comfortable place to grab lunch or a quaint little spot to have a dinner date. Their ingredients are fresh, their dishes cooked well, and their wait staff very helpful and pleasant. It’s a great neighborhood find.
UPDATE 1/12/15: We tried another of La Vite’s pizzas tonight and we were totally impressed. The cinnamon apple cranberry pizza is both unique and delicious.
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I Can Haz Kimchi? 