Vince's Restaurant

25 John F Kennedy Blvd Sea Isle City, NJ 08243

(609) 263-4567

In the News...

The following is an exact reproduction of a recent article about Vince's Restaurant from the Press of Atlantic City.

The Press of Atlantic City  DINING: GOOD VIBES / OWNER OF VINCE'S RESTAURANT WANTS HIS DINERS TO ENJOY EXPERIENCE IN SEA ISLE CITY  

Date: Thursday, December 21, 2006  Section: At The Shore  Edition: ALL  Page: 33  Byline: By CHRISTINE ERNEST For At The Shore, (609) 272-7017  Illustration:  1. Chef/owner Jim Henry takes pride in the menu items offered at Vince's Restaurant in Sea Isle City.  2. Some menu items offered at Vince's Restaurant. Staff color photos by Dale Gerhard  Vince's Restaurant WHERE: 25 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Sea Isle City  WHEN: Limited winter hours of 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Thursdays through Sundays. Hours do change throughout the year, so call for more information.  

HOW MUCH: Appetizers range from $8 to $12; soups and salads range from $4 to $8; entrees range from $19 to $41 and include a side and either soup du jour or a salad.  SERVICES: BYOB. Disabled access to second and third floors via elevator. Reservations accepted. The following credit cards are accepted: Visa, MasterCard and American Express.  MORE INFO: Call (609) 263-4567.  BETWEEN YOU AND ME: The owner's wife has made a huge impact on Vince's Restaurant. Not only is the decor inspired by their honeymoon, one of the entrees (ravioli Patricia) is named after her.   Vince's Restaurant represents a family legacy approximately 60 years in the making. After more than a year of renovations, the Sea Isle City restaurant is open again for business. It still offers breathtaking views of the ocean, but in a bigger and more sophisticated way.  "I really hope (re-opening Vince's Restaurant) helps Sea Isle. I was born and raised and love it here," says owner/chef Jim Henry. "This is not something that is short term. I am going to be doing this for the next 20 to 25 years, and hopefully one of my children will then take over."  Henry assumed ownership of the restaurant in 2002. The past year's revamping of his grandparents' former sub shop has raised the seating from 40 to 120. There are still more additions in the works - Henry plans to install a fiber-optic star ceiling on the second floor and plasma television screens.  The opening date was originally slated for June, but it was not ready to open until the last week of November. Pushing back the date is a move Henry is grateful for, because it gave him and his staff more time to prepare.  "It's been stressful and fun all (at) the same time," Henry says. "I can't complain one bit."  The multi-level restaurant features two dining areas on the second and third floors. Each room has nine giant windows, allowing for a great view of the ocean and the promenade from any seat.  With the help of Northfield interior designer Karen Babb, Vince's Restaurant recreates the festive island feel inspired by the owner's honeymoon in Maui. The wallpaper features exotic trees with a bottom panel that resembles stacked bamboo. Even the servers wear Hawaiian-print shirts.  "We're trying to be quality, but not stuffy. I want people to have a good time," says Henry.  The menu at Vince's is stocked with many seafood favorites, as well as some special recipes. Henry describes the menu as one "where people can enjoy themselves from beginning to end."  Start off with appetizers such as coconut shrimp ($10), which is tempura-battered shrimp paired with raspberry and mango sauces; and Angus steak skewers ($9), which are sliced Angus steak grilled and served with a peanut Thai dipping sauce.  Seafood entrees include Chef Jim's crabcakes ($23), which are crabcakes baked with tomato compote and a whole-grain mustard sauce; and broiled Brazilian lobster tail ($41), which is a 12- to 14-ounce tail served with drawn butter.  Henry also puts a seafood twist on dishes that are usually commonplace. These popular entrees include Vince's house favorite ($34), which is a 14-ounce premium Angus strip steak blackened and topped with bleu cheese and jumbo crabcake; and ravioli Patricia ($22), which are jumbo cheese raviolis in a Rosa sauce topped with jumbo lump crabmeat.  "I have a very weird way of looking at food. I feel food is foreplay," Henry says. "And husbands and wives go out to eat and it's a (special) night...If they come here, I don't want to be the one screwing up their night. It has that effect. Whether it's the service or the food, I want everybody to be able to enjoy themselves."  Getting to know you / More about Vince's Restaurant in Sea Isle City:, The inspiration behind the decor  Owner Jim Henry says he sat down with his parents and a designer to brainstorm ideas to create the restaurant's tropical feeling. But it was his honeymoon location, Mama's Fish House Restaurant and Inn located on the north shore of Maui, that really inspired the decor. The vacation spot opened in 1973, and exudes the romantic memory of old Hawaii.   The sign  Although not the original sign used by Henry's grandfather, Henry still refers to it as "old school." It features the same lettering as the original, and the colors were changed to blue and yellow from the original hues of green and red.   The chef's background  Working in the South, in places such as Marriott in Alabama, explains Henry's tendency to treat dining as a celebration. "The food down there is an event - from their barbecues to their crawfish," says Henry. "I like to take that type of attitude and put that into our cooking. I want people to have a good time when they come in here."  

       
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