Lauren and I had seen the new sign posted on the roof area where another had previously hung – RendezVu (in Batavia) now occupies the space where Italian Disaster had struck several years ago when Lauren and I made the mistake of having dinner at Fantastico’s. We decided to give RendezVu a try and hoped that there was no curse attached to the premises.
We Decided to Give it a Try
It was about 7:00 on a weekend night, and not the usual for us when it comes to going out for dinner. But we had decided that perhaps the place – being relatively new – would not be too busy. Upon entering, we counted only two other occupied tables and concern began to crawl over me like ants on an apple pie at a picnic. Was this to be déjà vu at what is now RendezVu? We hoped not, but the decor had not changed substantially from the previous restaurant, and the feeling was similar.
Up-North Diner or Cute Coastal Venue
Inside, our first impression was one of design by an eclectic eccentric. The restaurant couldn’t quite figure out what it wanted to be. It had some of the feel of an up-north diner and some of the feel of a cute coastal venue. Only three of the roughly 15 tables had table cloths on them (why, I am not sure…); the others were bare-topped. The windows had colored Christmas tree lights around them and there was a decided austerity that felt more cold than warm. The tables on one side of the restaurant were lined up as if for a breakfast at a coffee shop and on the other, placed almost as in a French café. Lauren ordered a glass of chardonnay and I asked for a vodka on the rocks.
The chardonnay was served in a glass with remnant lipstick on the rim. The vodka on the rocks in a crystal rocks glass. The waitress bent over backwards to be accommodating (she replaced the wine with apologies and without hesitation) and was very nice, but lacked a bit of the professionalism that might have accompanied a higher-end restaurant. We ordered the Fried Calamari appetizer ($6.95) while we sipped our cocktails, pondered the rest of the menu and tried to determine why there was a television on and competing with music that was playing.
Interesting Sounding Entrées
The menu was small and seemingly manageable for the size of the kitchen that was tucked in back. It featured interesting sounding entrées like Pork Chops with Fresh Apple Bordelaise, Sautéed Chicken Breast done in a variety of ways that included Marsala, Parmesan, Lemon-Artichoke, Shrimp Provencal and Blackened. There was also Pasta Diablo, Vegetable Primavera and Almond Crusted Tilapia – just to mention a few. Several salad choices and sandwiches rounded out the menu, which also was a study in a number of items that seemed to be pulled from a variety of ideas – all of which stuck to the theme-less theme of the restaurant.
For dinner, Lauren selected the Fish Fry – All-You-Can-Eat Breaded Cod: $9.95 – and I chose the Sautéed Chicken Breast with Shrimp Provencal:$14.95. All dinners included soup or salad and a choice of one of several sides ranging from onion rings to rice pilaf. We both opted for salads with creamy garlic dressing; Lauren tried the coleslaw for a side dish and I the zucchini.
There were a number of pluses of which to make note: We were both happy to see that bread was served in a real wicker basket and was warm (the butter however, was in little plastic individual tubs), there was a small candle on the tables, there was a real attempt at plate presentation, the kitchen crew – including the man I believed to be the head chef – were all appropriately dressed in whites, and the service was genuinely good, the server friendly and attentive… save that she never bothered to see if I wanted a second cocktail.
Just a Few Bugs to Work Out
The Calamari appetizer was lightly breaded and quite good. My Sautéed Chicken Breast with Shrimp Provencal was very good (and the shrimp were tender) although a bit heavy-handed on the garlic. Lauren’s fish was just OK and too heavily breaded. The salads were average salads; the dressing average as well.
Except for an unshakable and nagging feeling that the restaurant seemed to have no real direction, the evening was indeed a pleasant one. It was sad to note however, that only one other table came in for dinner that evening; I’ll attribute it to the fact that RendezVu is relatively new on the scene and its website is nearly impossible to find. Business is hard to get if no one knows that you are there… But of importance to note: all of the prices were very reasonable, and that included the cocktails.
As with all new places, RendezVu has a few bugs to work out and a few issues to deal with – none of these are insurmountable. My hope is for success for Chef Jerry Dunn and his new establishment. Batavia needs a few contenders to challenge the successes of her neighbors to the north; RendezVu could be a good addition. I give it 3 1/2 Zins and recommend that you give it a try!
Your Table is Waiting
Ralph Pancetta
The RendezVu is located at 102 N River Street in Batavia, IL.
Note: This review was written when the RendezVu was on River Street. (Interestingly, another venue — Tusk Thai — now occupies that space.) RendezVu is now located along the Fox River, just east of the Wilson Street bridge in downtown Batavia)
