V -- A place for that special occasion
Sierra Lodestar 01/25/2012

667 words
FOOTHILL FLAVORS

V--a special place for a special occasion

By Antoinette May Herndon

Are you looking for a place to propose? Or maybe you're searching for the perfect restaurant to celebrate a very special occasion. An anniversary, perhaps, or a birthday? Romantics may already be scouting out the ideal Valentine's Day venue.

Search no further. Have I got a place for you! I have to warn you though, it is pricey. Start saving. Murphys's V--if you haven't already discovered it for yourself--is a high rent kind of place .

I put it on par with Taste in Plymouth, an establishment that could easily takes it's place on Union Square, in Mayfair or on the Champs Elysees.

V owners Michael and Melissa Ninos have a splendid staff offering polished food and wine service. Presentations are gorgeous and cooked to perfection.

Though V has been around for seven years, Charles and I had never been there. On a recent Sunday evening we were just coming out of a two day writers retreat in our home. The last attendees has finally left with their notebooks and manuscripts. One carried out a large box of kleenex. Really, are critiquing is ot THAT severe, but the two days had been intense.

I was tired but also happy. I wanted to celebrate. I also wanted to be pampered. V's, it turned out, is just the place for that kind of

thing. The atmosphere is elegant, intimate and romantic. There are several small dining rooms with dark polished floors, large gilt-framed mirrors against soft cream walls, cozy tables, mostly for two, and whirling ceiling fans. One room even has a fireplace.

Happily, Sally and Dick Tuttle were also in a festive mood. V did not disappoint. The vibes were inviting right from the start. The menu was limited, as compared to Taste, but it was still easy for us to find inviting choices.

I started off with a truly fantastic martini mixed specially for me by Lauren DeValle. I have never had a better one. It was perfect. $9 is a City price, but I have to admit it was the City at it's best.

Charles ordered his usual Scotch over at $8 and the result made him a happy camper. Sally chose Chatom Sauvignon Blanc ($8) and was well pleased. Dick settled for cranberry juice ($2.50). "At least it looks like wine," he told us. It did, too, served in a big full-bodied glass.

Sally and Dick each had halibut served with Spanish chorizo, bloomsdale spinach, purple potatoes and meurniere sauce. ($27) Imagine purple potatoes! But they really were purple, tiny little guys. Cute, tender, and round. A very pretty and innovative fish presentation

Charles decided on Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon ($32). It was served with grilled artichoke, roasted garlic whipped chive potatoes, and bordelaise pt. reyes bleu. Filet mignon

couldn't be served in a more elegant manner. It was very good, too. A doggie bag was never an option. Poor Chloe.

My own favourite was Girmaud Farms Duck Breast. This was duck confit pain perdu served with braised endive and candied kumquats. ($33) I was delighted and could not resist ordering a glass of Stevenot Tempranill ($7) to enjoy with it.

Not really wanting the evening to end, Sally and I shared a Lemon Mousse Cake at $18. No that wasn't the whole cake, just one slice. But it truly was good, a perfect finish to a really outstanding meal.

Dick enjoyed a classy looking bread pudding at $9.

Our server, Jenny Suqua, was top notch. I enjoyed the food, loved the restaurant's ambience. Now what can I say about all this? It was definitely not an average dinner out for Charles and I. To us, the prices seemed quite high, but there is no question that V fulfilled its promise.

My feeling is that, for most, V is a restaurant to plan for: a special place for a special evening.

VITALS: V Restaurant & Bar, 402 Main St., Murphys. Phone: 728-0107. Wednesday through Sunday for dinner 5 to 8:15. Credit cards accepted.

Jenny Suqua is the "perfect" server.

I don't think you will want the dining room shot. I know you want people, but there weren't many to begin with and they all cleared out.

One of several intimate dining rooms at Murphys V Restaurant.