From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Johnny V/Fort Lauderdale

July 2, 2004

By Judith Stocks

Any chef who serves a $9 short stack at his trendy Fort Lauderdale restaurant, sells Cheez Whiz on otherwise sophisticated cheese platters -- and has people clamoring for more -- is somebody the South Florida culinary community needs to pay attention to.

RESTAURANT INFO

Cuisine: American
Where: 625 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954-761-7920
Cost: moderate to expensive
Credit cards: AE, DC, MC, V
Hours: lunch Monday-Friday, dinner daily
Reservations: suggested
Bar: full service
Sound level: moderate
Smoking: outdoors
Wheelchair accessible: yes
Children's facilities: no
>> Complete info
>> Write your review
>> Read other reader reviews

Not that we haven't noticed Johnny Vinczencz before. He excited our palates at Maxaluna in Boca, Astor Place on Miami Beach and De la Tierra in Delray before signing the lease at 625 East Las Olas, where he continues to orchestrate his menu with the same innovative passion that put him on the culinary map in the first place.

The inspiration for his 200 seat restaurant/tapas bar, opened last December, has been described as southwestern with Caribbean influences, though his style has also been called Continental Floridian, New Floridian, New American and Floribbean. Take your pick. He likes to call it American Regional - and that probably describes it best.

The South Florida 'region' brings in Caribbean, Jamaican and Latin influences. What Vinczencz succeeds so beautifully at giving us is a stunning repertoire - part whimsical, part comfort food and part sophistication.

Those pancakes, for instance, are a signature dish of cloud light mini's made with wild mushrooms and roasted portobellos. They're drizzled with balsamic syrup, finalized with a dollop of creamy sun dried tomato butter. His personal love for barbecue and smoky flavors inspired barbecue spiked jumbo shrimp - seared in a hot skillet, popped into a martini glass over smoked rock shrimp potato salad and corn salsa with chipotle cocktail sauce.

He empowers salads into events, creating striking horizontal presentations - separate mounds of poached pear, mesclun with aged sherry vinaigrette, candied hot pecans, cabrales blue cheese and teardrop tomatoes. Once he captures your attention, he proceeds further into nirvana with clean flavors and intricate spicing. His surf and turf is American Buffalo New York strip and half a Maine lobster with lobster mashed potatoes, asparagus and baby corn.

Fresh yellow tail never had it so good in a crisp corn meal exterior with velvety lemon boniato mash, roasted corn sauce and snappy smoked pepper relish. And, the chimichurri marinated lamb chops are tastefully partner with whisper-soft shitake lamb sauce and a dandy spinach and Humboldt Fog goat cheese empanada on the side.

Vinczencz has a knack and a deft hand when it comes to dabs of this and a little of that for an end result that is basically simple with a beautiful delivery. The added touch of humor and his love for heartland cooking creates food that deserves your undivided attention.

Please phone in advance to confirm information on hours, prices, menu items and facilities. For review consideration, please fax a current menu that includes name and address of restaurant to 954-356-4386 or send to Sun-Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-2293.

If you would like to contact dining correspondent Judith Stocks, e-mail her at judithstocks2002@yahoo .com or write to her in care of the Sun-Sentinel.