Vincente's on Kirkwood

Veal Louisa and chicken parmesan from Vincente's Restaurant. (Credit: Jessica Bratton)

It's no secret Italians love to cook. And love to eat. And love to feed those around them. And looking locally, you'd be hard pressed to find a better example of the love between an Italian and his food than Mr. Vincente Mancari.

Like the Italian masters of old who carved out their historical niche during the Renaissance era, Vincente, an old master himself, has carved out his culinary niche in Delaware for more than half a century.

After starting out at the Wilmington intersection of 4th and Madison streets in 1951, Vincente did a bit of exploring over the years, moving his restaurant to Lancaster Pike, back to Little Italy, and even to Glen Mills, Pa., before retiring less than two years ago.

But just as it's impossible to separate artist from canvas, it's also impossible to separate Vincente from cooking and entertaining (most notably with his tableside Caesar salad and Bananas Foster).

And so, the 78-year-old chef, along with son Danny, have reopened for business on Kirkwood Highway to the delight of his many loyal customers. Our trip to his new establishment, complete with 20-plus-seat bar and two dining rooms, started off with a gracious welcome by our server, Edgar, as well as two complimentary amuses: a slice of Vincente's signature flounder and garlic bread with a beer-cheese spread.

As our foursome enjoyed the free eats on a Sunday evening, we sipped on the Penfolds "Bin 2," an 80/20 blend of shiraz and mourvedre (moderately priced at $30). A glance at the first page of appetizers and we were ready.

First to arrive would be the shrimp, crab and bacon dijon ($12.50), a light and moist shrimp-and-crab cake served on a bed of spinach, layered with bacon and accompanied by a champagne honey mustard.

The succulent shrimp was baked right into the crab cake, like you might find mushrooms in a fluffy quiche. While the bacon added the salt and honey mustard provided the sweet, the sauteed spinach simply mixed in for texture.

Next was the baked mozzarella and marinara ($9.50), which will likely make you swear off mozzarella sticks for good. A thin slice of soft mozzarella was lightly coated in breadcrumbs and gave way to the fork quite easily, while marinara gushed in from all sides.

For the entree, I decided on the Veal Louisa ($20.95), which was "named after my wife, so it'd better be good," as Vincente told us. And lucky for him (and his marriage of 55 years), the veal was excellent. Pounded thin but not overcooked, the veal had a thick layer of fontina cheese spread overtop, while sauteed mushrooms and shaved prosciutto danced above. The white wine and garlic sauce kept things nice and juicy.

We also indulged in the crab imperial stuffed flounder ($20.95), which came slightly undercooked, but featured a crunchy and delicious coating of which Vincente refused to divulge the ingredients. Chicken parmesan ($16.95) also made the grade, with an authentic sauce.

After watching Vincente toss locatelli cheese 10 feet through the dining room air and into a bowl of Caesar dressing ingredients, we knew we'd have to order the Bananas Foster ($12.50 per person) and get the tableside show.

Vincente's recipe is a bit different than the traditional cinnamon and rum version, as he uses Southern Comfort, cognac and banana liqueur, along with nutmeg, brown sugar, and a few sticks worth of butter.

It might be a bit pricey per person, but we all agreed it was one of the most memorable Foster desserts we'd ever had. And it made for one heck of a show, of which we'll definitely demand an encore performance.

Insider tips: The parking situation

When you pass by the small building that houses Vincente's on Kirkwood Highway, it looks as if their parking lot might only hold about 15 or 20 cars from the front. But look around back and another 75 or so spots pop up, providing plenty of space for diners.

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