Critic's Review
On my way home from Target I was discouraged by the lack of good choices on this stretch of North Federal, and then I decided to have some flounder. Got a spot right out front; they moved the front door so you have to go in through the bar. They have an outside space that is not that appealing and also not a consideration in 90 degree weather.
I was shown a table in a completely empty restaurant. I ordered an Iced Tea to go with the complimentary iced water and ordered the Flounder lunch at $16.95. Rolls and garlic oil dip were also brought to the table.
I asked for the wifi password but the password she gave me "cafevico" didn't work.
No sugar was offered so I had to ask for that; my server failed to mention that the tea was flavored, which is something that should always be mentioned.
I prefer bread to rolls; rolls have too much crust and not enough bread. The oil was surprisingly tasteless; I think Marco is using cheaper oil. Not very fruity at all. Maybe a little less of better quality stuff is in order?
The salad was prepared correctly but I didn't care for the dressing; it was too sweet. I usually don't mind a bit of anchovy flavor but it didn't work; the dressing was off.
The main dish came out before I finished the salad, which created a problem on the too small for one table.
I asked the server for some butter for the vegetables, which seemed to confuse her. She disappeared into the back.
They still don't saute the spinach; raw spinach is weird with fish. The next issue is that I'd be very surprised if this was actually flounder; it was too meaty to be flounder; it was more like Cod. The sauce was lousy; the last time I had flounder it was served Piccata; this sauce tasted too winey. I figured I could fix it with the butter, but my server brought me this.
Which was apparently a cup of the sauce that I already had. "You don't have butter?", I asked. "No". Just Great.
Meanwhile a couple walked in and sat at the table right next to me. Why? The dining room is empty. Now I have to listen to the moronic banter between 2 people who know nothing about food (or anything else). Just fantastic.
They had a different server and I was horrified when they were read the specials; I wasn't informed of any specials. One of them sounded like something I might order.
I flagged my server down again, this time asking for lemon. I had to try to fix this. She asked if I wanted it for the drink or the food. What difference does it make, I thought. They have the fancy lemon in cheesecloth for the food.
Notice that they used to give you the lemon with the fish; now you have to ask for it. Even with the entire lemon the sauce wasn't any good.
When I was done the server was nowhere to be found. No refill on the tea. The couple next to me was making me glad that I don't carry. Finally she peeks out and I ask for the check.
A disappointing visit to Cafe Vico indeed.
Conclusion
Cafe Vico used to be a sure thing, but I have to call this visit a big fail. Vico's has always felt a bit forced, but today it was over the top. They still try to deliver the same experience, but everything is lower quality from the tasteless oil to the fake flounder and the bad caesar salad instead of soup. This would have been a good value for $20 if I had liked 1 thing I had. But the truth is that I didn't. I couldn't even get a pat of butter.
Review 11/14/14
One of the few sure things in this town is Cafe Vico. Sometimes you need a sure thing.
From the outside it looks about the same, but they've remodeled inside. There used to be a small bar in the back, but now there's a big bar/lounge. The dining room is decorated the same as before; things have just been moved around a bit.
Just 2 other tables at 2pm, I ordered iced tea and took a look at the menu. I had the eggplant my first time here before I started this site, maybe 6 years ago and it was decent; I was in the mood for eggplant parm.
Service here is very formal, like a real restaurant. Music is low and benign. Bread is included.
Rather than slathering rolls with garlic, they give you a cup of garlic dip; it's the best dip in town by a wide, wide margin. The first time here I almost mistook it for a cup of soup.
One thing that's changed is the choice of soup or salad with your lunch entree has been replaced with just a choice of house or caesar salad. I went with the Caesar.
A top notch salad. Some comedy erupted when one of the ladies dining shouted "are you going to give me the second copy?" at the waiter. "You didn't give me your card yet" [ Laughter followed].
The eggplant was served just as I was finished with the salad. I asked for Romano cheese, but they only have grated parmesan
This was much better than I remembered. The crust was heavier last time; this was deftly layered and Vico has a good, sweet sauce. Served with linguine, this is a very good version.
With the bread and the salad, I only ate half and brought the rest home for a late night snack. A very enjoyable lunch in a quiet, comfortable setting.
No visit to Cafe Vico is complete without a trip to the Men's room. He's got some new pictures in there since the last time I was here.
Conclusion
Good Service, Good Food, and a good deal for lunch. There's no surer thing in Fort Lauderdale.
Review 11/30/12
Tucked quietly in an IHOP strip mall is Cafe Vico. At a time when noisy, club-like places on Las Olas pack them in, Cafe Vico is a small place with a unique ambiance.
The dining room is elegant and old world; the ceiling is painted like a cloudy blue sky; It's very Italian.
Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Natalie Cole play as you enjoy one of the best lunches that Fort Lauderdale has to offer. They bring a basket of rolls and a bowl full of garlic and oil. No scrimping here.
The rolls today were a bit overdone; the bottoms were too hard to eat. But there was plenty of bread above, so I just ripped it off and enjoyed the dip. I ordered an Iced tea and the veal parmesan; lunch entrees include either soup or salad. The soup is always good here; I opted for a tortellini in broth with spinach.
The broth is delicious, and the tortellini have a very light filling. I was expecting more spinach, but the soup was excellent.
I was expecting a small portion of veal, but this was more than generous.
Just look at all of that cheese. They don't have Romano cheese, which I prefer, so I settled for the Parmigiano-Reggiano. The veal was lightly breaded but not too much; the veal was tender, and there was just enough linguini. I ate a little more than half; I'll have the rest over the weekend.
I've had the eggplant parm here and it's quite good. Vico touts his lasagna as "award winning", but I don't care for lasagna with bachamel sauce; I'm a red sauce lasagna guy all the way. So you'll have to try it yourself. Another lunch item that's good that is hard to find elsewhere is the flounder piccata.
Nicely done.
Cafe Vico is a nice cafe for solid italian food that's as good as you'll find in Fort Lauderdale. A $20 lunch that's actually worth it.
A tip for you guys, at least the hetero ones. Make sure you check out the bathroom; the pictures on the wall are a bit different than the ones in the dining room. There's a sample in the gallery.
Review 3/29/11
Tucked quietly in an IHOP strip mall is Cafe Vico. At a time when noisy, club-like places on Las Olas pack them in, Cafe Vico is a small place with a unique ambiance.
The dining room is elegant and old world; the ceiling is painted like a cloudy blue sky; It's very Italian.
Cafe Vico is one of the few places in town that you can claim to a group of people that its the best restaurant in town and no-one will say youre nuts. They might not all agree with you, but from head to toe; if you consider ambiance, service and the food, there arent many people who dont think its right up there.
The menu has all of the Italian Classics; nothing fancy and nothing missing. Portions are not enormous but you certainly wont leave hungry. House made rolls are included. At some places,they barely give you enough dip for 1 roll. At Cafe Vico; I first thought it was a cup of soup.
My server approached me with a menu, but I knew what I was having. Is the Flounder still on the menu, I asked. It is, he said. I ordered it with a bottle of bottle of San Pellegrino. Soup or salad is included; they had a black bean puree so I ordered that as well.
The atmosphere in the place is pleasant, from the urban jazz sounds of Boney James to Christopher Cross; at lunch time there arent many people in the place. Finally my soup is served.
This stuff is fantastic. Its looks like chocolate mousse, and its not quite that good, but its pretty close. Its one of those deals that when youve finished it youre a bit disappointed there isnt more.
The flounder is served with fresh vegetables and a nice lemon caper sauce. The supplied lemon allowed me to kick it up a notch. The fish was seasoned nicely and didnt require any additional salt.
It was a modest portion, but when you consider the bread and soup its a pretty solid lunch for $14.99. Even with the $6 Pelligrino (they have the BIG bottle), it was just about the same as I paid at Flip Flops. You can make the call on whats the better value.
Ive had the eggplant parm here and its quite good. Vico touts his lasagna as award winning, but I dont care for lasagna with bachamel sauce; Im a red sauce lasagna guy all the way. So youll have to try it yourself.
If youre looking for a nice, quite place with good italian food, youre not going to do much better than Cafe Vico in this town.
A little tip for you guys, at least the hetero ones. Make sure you check out the bathroom. The pictures are quite different than the ones in the dining room.
Another decent lunch option bites the dust in Fort Lauderdale