VIC'S EMBERS
Leesburg, Florida
Once I sat down by my table the service started promptly. A friendly and very professional waitress offered to bring me a glass from a selection of well represented house wines. As my preference is for the blood reds, I debated which way to go but finally settled for:
PINOT
NOIR, MIRASSOU
Velvety texture with cherry, plum and strawberry flavors
Very Good (****-)
My companions were already enjoying a generous serving of fresh baked bread just out from the oven, which was complemented by either smooth butter or house made olive oil, balsamic vinegar and spices dressing.
Excellent (*****)
The menu was a big and profusely illustrated, although I would have preferred to see more in depth descriptions of the selections. The server was excellently prepared to answer any questions, which we had given the unfortunate lack of descriptions.
My selections for the night were:
Appetizer
BACON WRAPPED JALAPENO SHRIMPFour jumbo shrimp with fresh jalapeno slices wrapped in bacon and grilled. Served with raspberry dipping sauce.
The "Jumbo" description is misleading, as the size of the shrimps was medium at best. The description mentions the raspberry dipping sauce, but it does not say that the item comes already generously covered with the same or similar sauce. It did not make sense to me to have the cup with the extra sauce unless it was just to keep for dessert later. This item is served very hot, so watch out! However there was the redemptive fact that the item had a very good taste after wiping out as much of the sweet sauce as possible, and totally neglecting the extra syrupy substance passing as raspberry dipping sauce.
Good (***- -)
CAESAR SALAD (for two)Fresh crisp greens prepared at your table side with fresh garlic cloves, oil and vinegar then tossed with Parmesan cheese.
The ultimate salad!I do not think I can add more to this. The salad was made right in from of us. The ingredients were really fresh and very good looking. The server knew how to make this item . There is no other salad of this type that could be able to compete with intensity of flavors this one had. There was no one able to resist the invitation to try it and the thing was literally devoured. There is no way anybody can go wrong with this one. I do not know, however, if it was the salad or the server who prepared it.Looking at the menu does not give much to grab in order to make a well informed decision, specially is this is the first visit to Vic's Embers. At first glance what is obvious is that they are a steak house. They have other selections for the non-meat eater, but if you get to the point of finding yourself seated with a server taking an order, you might as well go ahead and order meat. Really, meat is meat; that is a no mystery. But the mystery is to go through a menu not knowing what is best. So I tossed aside the humongous booklet and went straight to ask the house specialty. The answer that came after that sucked the blood out of my veins, or at least what was left. She said "Stakes!" Can you believe that? Simply Genius. So I took a deep breath and asked for the night's Special.
My Favorite Excellent (*****)*
Sirloin Tournedos with AsparagusBeef medallions with Cherry & Mushroom glaze served with choice of potatoes, asparagus and blue cheese.
I confess "mia culpa" being a smart mouth because all of this menu thing. I said this is a stake house and I had the fact proven to me almost by force. So I took whatever the server thought was the best of the night and with it made me shut my mouth. She almost looked as if saying "okay big guy, here you go. Now shut up and eat!" as she threw the plate in front of me. And I did just as told. At the end it was worthy. It was great. The meat was made exactly how I wanted and the cook probably did some magic spells on it to turn it even better. It melt in my mouth with a slow and intentional seduction, as if crawling on its own down my throat negating me the privilege of enjoying each bite any longer. The Asparagus were grilled in a mysterious way too. They were firm at the beginning but eventually showed the softness of its succulence with the same assertiveness that the meat dealt with me. They were in a conspiracy to make that dish splendorous. They could have left everything else out of this plate as just the meat and the vegetable were running the show on their ownJust about the time when I was to finish my tango with my meal, the man from the foyer came back to announce that they have just found the keys for the humidor and I was invited to go to check it out. It took them an hour to find the keys, but they did! I was not forgotten. They delivered as promised and made me feel really good. I accept the fact that the humidor was not at the right humidity level, the cigars were dry and all the same. I am not a smoker anyways, but Vic's Embers has made sure that smoker or not you will be treated really well at his place.
Absolutely superb grandeur (**************>>>>>>>>>)
The man graciously waved as I passed him on my way back to my table, but not without offering me his business card. Nice touch.
I got back to my tomb just before dawn as usual. I took some time to see the business card again. It read Vic Donahey in case you wonder. It was Vic!
Overall Experience:
To do justice to this place it has to be called the best Steakhouse in all Lake County. Period. Is an experience from beginning to end and personally nourished by its charismatic owner.
I hope they bring a Dean Martin impersonator for their shows...
Visited on 4/27/2010
I was lured to go to a very special paranormal meeting the other night. Nothing special beyond the normal confrontation with spirits from the beyond. But for this occasion it was decided that the place to host the event was going to be Vic's Embers. I have heard about the name for years, but to tell the truth never cared to go and visit. I have seen the restaurant and knew more or less the whereabouts for it. It just did not raise any interest on me other than remembering it as general landmark when giving directions. Nothing more. So when I received the conformation that the meeting was going to take place, my first thought was, "is there any other place?" I really did not care. It was going to be a meeting after all, and most importantly free. So I made my mind and headed that way.
A very visible sign greeted me into a reasonably crowded parking lot. 
There was no doubt in my mind that the place was well known, but actually seeing myself trying to find a parking spot brought the whole thing into reality. Vic's Embers obviously was started there with the intention of being a restaurant, and almost had the very generic look of some of the many corporate nationwide franchises like Olive Garden or Red Lobster. The building look very "corporate Florida," perhaps built not more than 10 years ago, and the only thing missing to make the picture complete was a bunch of Pink Flamingos and sign that reads"Welcome, Snow Birds." The third cliche was already there: The White Limousine. Not Bad.
As I started walking towards the entrance, taking everything for granted from my previous mental preparation, suddenly something struck me. Expecting the all common
glass doors, I did not know if to pull or push the huge and heavy Mahogany wooden doors in front of me. Now, that was something out of place to my mental image from before. I thought that perhaps the owner was a little bit pretentious, maybe? So I finally figured my own confusion with the doors and went in.
So, the first thing I encountered to remind me some more of my previously formed preconceptions about the place I was about to enter, was a very old fashioned cigarette dispensing machine from the 1960's. I chortled thinking "who still smokes?" Very odd, indeed, but yet, not really as the restaurant was maybe even smoke freindly. After all, since I was sure I was walking into "Snow Bird Paradise," what was I conplaining about? The machine was not that out of place. A fraction of a second later I opened the second pair of wooden doors, only to be attacked by a cigar humidor, thank you very much! Perhaps this was also "Emphysema World" and I prepared myself to "zig zag" around portable oxygen tanks obstructing my way. But before I did that, in order to buy myself some precious time to adjust my vision to the almost funeral darkness, I decided to check out this last sophisticated object. As I waited for my Bat faculties to kick in, I decided to ask the man who extended his hand cheerfully towards me, if could look into the humidor and check its content. His response was so friendly and enthusiastic, that I would have thought he just granted me permission to go into King Solomon's Temple. So I said "thanks."
After hitting the humidor humidity gauge several times unsuccessfully, trying to get it to correct its reading of "50" to the desirable "around 70," I encountered that the little door was locked, so I humbly turned back to the man willing to inform him about my predicament. Just as cheerfully and eagerly as when he first greeted me, he started looking all over the place for the keys to open the humidor's door. Just there I became aware of his position of authority as he recruited into the search every staff within reach, including the bartender. It was like watching Germany march into Poland. With Blitzkrieg efficiency and coordination the entire foyer was carefully investigated by this impromptu Gestapo. There was not a single corner left untouched. They even looked into the bathrooms. As the investigation took several long minutes, I got plenty of time to adjust my vision, and quickly regretting my petition, I excused myself while politely requesting from them to let me know when they find the key, if ever. I had a meeting to attend.
Once my eyes got adjusted to the light, or more precisely the lack of, I ratified my selection of words describing the somber illumination as funeral. I felt like walking into Disney 's Haunted Mansion! The only thing missing been the stretching portraits and the spider webs. But do not get me wrong! This is my opinion as a ghost. The place in reality looked more appropriately like just out of a 1960's soap opera, including Dark Shadows of course.
So my preconceived ideas went down in flames while saying goodbye to the generic corporate "welcome to Florida "look. There was nothing generic about Vic's Embers. I was deceived into believing that, just from the outside and the almost absolute darkness. "This is a thematic restaurant!" I whispered to myself with a welcomed feeling of relief.
So in other words, what you get is an average looking building housing a well thought establishment with a soul of its own. It took me back to those nights when after crawling out of my coffin I could hear the themes of shows like "Matlock," "Get Smart," and
"Mod Squad." The low ceiling dimly lit dinning room is all covered with dark wooden panels without a break; I mean, from wall to wall. Even the tables and chairs have the same shade. The bar was not exception. In reality it is a cocktail lounge with piano and all, which although with the same selection of wood, it does a better job taking you back in time to the era of classic TV than the dinning room does. While cocktail lounge screams loudly "Frank Sinatra," "Rat Pack," or even "The Godfather," the dinning room essentially makes you feel like sitting in an upscale "Golden Corral" for the "Brady Bunch." but as I think about it, even this seems paradoxical. I did not see any children at all! Well, you may say otherwise if comparing by 350 years with the seventy something average of the patrons there. Never mind those carrying their portable oxygen tanks.
There was no doubt in my mind that the place was well known, but actually seeing myself trying to find a parking spot brought the whole thing into reality. Vic's Embers obviously was started there with the intention of being a restaurant, and almost had the very generic look of some of the many corporate nationwide franchises like Olive Garden or Red Lobster. The building look very "corporate Florida," perhaps built not more than 10 years ago, and the only thing missing to make the picture complete was a bunch of Pink Flamingos and sign that reads"Welcome, Snow Birds." The third cliche was already there: The White Limousine. Not Bad.As I started walking towards the entrance, taking everything for granted from my previous mental preparation, suddenly something struck me. Expecting the all common
glass doors, I did not know if to pull or push the huge and heavy Mahogany wooden doors in front of me. Now, that was something out of place to my mental image from before. I thought that perhaps the owner was a little bit pretentious, maybe? So I finally figured my own confusion with the doors and went in.So, the first thing I encountered to remind me some more of my previously formed preconceptions about the place I was about to enter, was a very old fashioned cigarette dispensing machine from the 1960's. I chortled thinking "who still smokes?" Very odd, indeed, but yet, not really as the restaurant was maybe even smoke freindly. After all, since I was sure I was walking into "Snow Bird Paradise," what was I conplaining about? The machine was not that out of place. A fraction of a second later I opened the second pair of wooden doors, only to be attacked by a cigar humidor, thank you very much! Perhaps this was also "Emphysema World" and I prepared myself to "zig zag" around portable oxygen tanks obstructing my way. But before I did that, in order to buy myself some precious time to adjust my vision to the almost funeral darkness, I decided to check out this last sophisticated object. As I waited for my Bat faculties to kick in, I decided to ask the man who extended his hand cheerfully towards me, if could look into the humidor and check its content. His response was so friendly and enthusiastic, that I would have thought he just granted me permission to go into King Solomon's Temple. So I said "thanks."
After hitting the humidor humidity gauge several times unsuccessfully, trying to get it to correct its reading of "50" to the desirable "around 70," I encountered that the little door was locked, so I humbly turned back to the man willing to inform him about my predicament. Just as cheerfully and eagerly as when he first greeted me, he started looking all over the place for the keys to open the humidor's door. Just there I became aware of his position of authority as he recruited into the search every staff within reach, including the bartender. It was like watching Germany march into Poland. With Blitzkrieg efficiency and coordination the entire foyer was carefully investigated by this impromptu Gestapo. There was not a single corner left untouched. They even looked into the bathrooms. As the investigation took several long minutes, I got plenty of time to adjust my vision, and quickly regretting my petition, I excused myself while politely requesting from them to let me know when they find the key, if ever. I had a meeting to attend.
Once my eyes got adjusted to the light, or more precisely the lack of, I ratified my selection of words describing the somber illumination as funeral. I felt like walking into Disney 's Haunted Mansion! The only thing missing been the stretching portraits and the spider webs. But do not get me wrong! This is my opinion as a ghost. The place in reality looked more appropriately like just out of a 1960's soap opera, including Dark Shadows of course.So my preconceived ideas went down in flames while saying goodbye to the generic corporate "welcome to Florida "look. There was nothing generic about Vic's Embers. I was deceived into believing that, just from the outside and the almost absolute darkness. "This is a thematic restaurant!" I whispered to myself with a welcomed feeling of relief.
So in other words, what you get is an average looking building housing a well thought establishment with a soul of its own. It took me back to those nights when after crawling out of my coffin I could hear the themes of shows like "Matlock," "Get Smart," and
"Mod Squad." The low ceiling dimly lit dinning room is all covered with dark wooden panels without a break; I mean, from wall to wall. Even the tables and chairs have the same shade. The bar was not exception. In reality it is a cocktail lounge with piano and all, which although with the same selection of wood, it does a better job taking you back in time to the era of classic TV than the dinning room does. While cocktail lounge screams loudly "Frank Sinatra," "Rat Pack," or even "The Godfather," the dinning room essentially makes you feel like sitting in an upscale "Golden Corral" for the "Brady Bunch." but as I think about it, even this seems paradoxical. I did not see any children at all! Well, you may say otherwise if comparing by 350 years with the seventy something average of the patrons there. Never mind those carrying their portable oxygen tanks.