501 5th Ave NE
Business brought me to the Vinoy, one of the 500 greatest hotels in the world according to Travel & Leisure magazine. Within the Vinoy are four restaurants: Alfresco, Marchand’s, Fred’s, and the Clubhouse. The Marchand Bar and Grill serves nationally recognized award winning food, which we lacked opportunity to try.
On arrival night, we stopped at Alfresco. I chose the Key West Cioppino ($23.00) with Florida lobster, clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops in a curry coconut broth and accompanied by grilled ciabatta. The seafood was overcooked. Instead of snappy smooth bites, the shrimp and lobster had a rough chicken-like texture associated with overcooking. The curry broth was insipid and little of its flavor saturated into the seafood. For the money, it is a disappointment. 2 stars.
For breakfast and lunch the food is prepared on site and served at Fred’s buffet style. Breakfast is typical. Lunch suits my eclectic taste. The first day is traditional. The second day is Italian themed with the Eggplant Parmesan, buffalo mozzarella, and the pesto standouts. The third day theme is haute cusine. I'm unfamiliar with he food names but the standouts are the red peppers stuffed with a crab and shrimp and the tenderloin perched on top of Yukon Gold fritattas.
I’m operating on partial information assuming the food was prepared by Marchand’s chefs. Marchand’s entrees cost range from $22 to $46. That’s out of my league.
Vinoy Rating: While this was not the most luxurious hotel I've stayed at, it had an overall appeal that put it at the top of my list of best hotels I have stayed at to date. The collective staff was the best I have dealt with at a hotel, whether it came from their hearts or if they were trained to be welcoming, warm, and helpful.
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