VINOCITY KIRKWOOD

He says:
The bandstand was empty. So were most of the tables. The dim, cavernous dining area could easily accommodate two hundred people, but on Saturday morning it only boasted two, both drearily sipping cups of coffee. On the television behind the bar, a woman in an infomerical was demonstrating how to use gallons of OJ and full laundry baskets to work out. Our waiter’s “bedhead” hair didn’t look artfully coiffed. In fact, it looked like he’d just woken up, rolled off the futon, and was looking for his pants. At any second we expected a janitor to come down the aisle, pushing along some red plastic party cups with his broom.

“This place looks like a hangover,” said Uptown Girl.

I couldn’t agree more. When we first reviewed Vinocity in 2007, it had a better location and higher ambitions. Its menu was all over the place, but at least it tried.

In contrast, I can't help but feel that Vinocity Kirkwood has given up. The new brunch menu contains several cutting edge dishes with names like “French Toast,” “Belgian Waffles,” and “Veggie Omelet.” Wow, really?! An omelet with vegetables in it? And $13 for a bagel & lox? Gee, thanks!

She says:
To be fair, Vinocity's main focus is on lunch and dinner, not brunch. My guess is that the addition of a weekend brunch menu is an attempt to turn an extra buck. But breaking into Atlanta's robust brunch scene is a hopeless endeavor with such a boring, overpriced menu and cheerless space.

As for the food... I can't complain about my crab cake benedict. The poached eggs jiggled amiably over two large and acceptably crabby patties. What I can (and did) complain about was the side of fruit, a pile of melon chunks which had gone rancid. When I handed the fruit back to our waiter, he agreed, saying "Yeah, that looks pretty bad." I suppose he was too busy wiping the sleep from his eyes to notice their disgusting condition earlier.

He says:
I ordered the special of the day, an omelet with polish keilbasa, red pepper, and feta cheese, mostly because it was the only item on the menu I’d never cooked before myself. As it turns out, I could have done better. The eggs were overcooked, almost rubbery, and there wasn’t enough pepper or cheese to balance the heaviness of the sausage.

We say:
If you’re going to serve brunch, shouldn’t you try to give a damn?




Vinocity Kirkwood
1963 Hosea Williams Drive, Atlanta, GA 30317
http://www.vinocitywinebar.com/