Location, location, location--that's a
secret to success enterprising restaurateurs know so well, but sometimes
ill-starred timing provides a disrupting influence that makes even a
proven location seem like a Bermuda Triangle. Such was the case
when Al Vincenzo's Italian Kitchen & Pizzeria metamorphosed under
new ownership into Vincenzo's Fine Cuisine on May 1st, 2005. That
transformation coincided with heavy construction on Eubank that made it
difficult to access the shopping center in which the restaurant is
neatly ensconced. Even faithful customers stayed away in droves,
but like migratory birds, they have started to re-discover an old
favorite.
Note: By the end of 2005,
Vincenzo's Fine Cuisine had been renamed Damon's Fine Cuisine after
Damon Flores, one of the restaurant's owners. It also earned
acclaim from the Albuquerque Tribune's outstanding restaurant
critic Carrie Seidman as one of the five best restaurants to launch in
Albuquerque in 2005.
Damon's no longer sounds like the name
of a neighborhood pizzeria in the Bronx and more like the four-star,
fine-dining restaurant it is striving to be. White tablecloth,
starched napkins, classical music, muted decor and an upscale menu are
the telltale signs that this is no longer the stereotypical Italian mom
and pop joint. Pleasant service with a personal touch is a welcome
touch especially when there's no hint of the condescension for which
many high-brow restaurants are known.
The dinner menu still includes a few
Italian mainstays featuring al dente pasta, but for the most part, the
menu speaks sophistication with aged prime meats and fresh seafood
holding court. The restaurant's herb bread is carried in daily
from the Paris Bakery next door. There are several gourmet
sandwiches available for lunch.
Carpaccio,
thinly sliced USDA prime beef tenderloin topped with capers and fresh
cut basil then drizzled with fresh squeezed lemon juice, appears to be
the restaurant's signature appetizer. Our very knowledgeable and
attentive waitress proclaimed it "the best in Albuquerque,"
but there are a few Vietnamese restaurants (such as Pho
#1) which might dispute that claim.
Several gourmet salads
are also available with the Caesar salad appearing to be the most
popular on the night of our first visit. If you're interested in
taste combinations that contrast and complement one another, the Strawberry
Gorgonzola salad might be a better choice. It features fresh
strawberries, gorgonzola and walnuts over crisp butter lettuce then
tossed with Balsamic vinaigrette (alas a miserly drizzle that left us
wanting more).
Selecting from among
the entrees will prove a lofty challenge as each fare is described with
adjectives that may leave your mouth watering. Alas, some of the
entrees may have a hard time living up to their billing. The Duck
al'Orange (a spelling used by such reputable sources as Emeril
Lagasse, Sunset Magazine, and the Food Network ), for example, features
a cloying orange cream sauce that may lack the zest and tanginess of the
orange peel sauce served at Chinese restaurants like
Ming
Dynasty, but is still delicious. The seared duck breast
is tender with just a hint of fat and is served with garlic mashed
potatoes and fresh green beans, neither of which do anything to
distinguish themselves.
Carnivores might opt
instead for the New York alla Plancha (griddle or comal), an aged
USDA prime New York steak seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic then
drizzled with a Balsamic glaze. That glaze proved an unlikely
flavorful complement to a well seasoned slab of prime beef. We
liked it so much, we sopped it up with the roasted red potatoes which
accompanied the steak.
