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Restaurant Review - Vee Vee in Jamaica Plain

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Vee Vee in Jamaica Plain is a great little bistro with excellent vegetarian options.  I have been hearing about this place since it opened about a year ago, but, due to my “the other side of the river might as well be the west coast” state of mind on weekends, I had yet to give it a try.  Fortunately, a pet-sitting gig in JP brought us over this way for the weekend, and The Guy and I are making the most of it, trying every place we can, only rushing back in-between to walk the dogs and bask in the joy of in-unit laundry. 

 

Some restaurant experiences are hard to review, because you just had such a good time that you can’t be sure you’ll give an objective assessment.  Such was the case with Vee Vee last night.  I write this with confidence that everything I am saying is true, but it might be tinged with the giddiness that comes in the wake of a great first date (well, first date with Vee Vee, probably the 3,156th date with The Guy). 

 

There was a bit of a wait when we arrived at Vee Vee, so we acquainted ourselves with their wonderful beer list, which included no less than nine local brews from Massachusetts and Maine.  I adored the Cisco IPA, and The Guy swooned over a Berkshire Brewing Company lager. 

 

Much of the buzz around Vee Vee has been that it is geared towards vegetarians.  While they have added more meat to their menu recently, the veg choices were enough to send us into an agonizing decision process, helped only by our waiter’s recommendations.  We started with the arancini, a delicious appetizer that is usually inconveniently stuffed with ground beef.  This one replaced the beef with pine nuts, swiss chard, and currants, and rested on a bed of fresh ricotta.  It was amazing.  For entrees, I went with the zucchini and corn enchiladas.  The dish was yummy, and came with black beans and a tasty blood orange and avocado salad.  I was, however, a bit jealous of The Guy’s Moroccan vegetable stew, which tempered its sweetness with perfectly seared artichokes.  Portions were big enough that, despite valiant efforts, we were unable to finish our side order of plantains or even attempt dessert.

 

Service at Vee Vee was wonderful.  The bartender and staff were very attentive while we waited for our table, and our waiter was awesome.  His food recommendations were spot-on, and when he found out we were on a mission from Somerville, he offered suggestions for good brunch spots and bars to watch the Final Four at (we’ll be trying one of those in a few minutes, actually – go Michigan!).  Finally, my love for Vee Vee was cemented when we inquired about a familiar voice on the sound system and the bartender told us that she was playing a cd from Colin Meloy’s obscure college band. 

 

Finally, Vee Vee offers a prix fixe menu on Sundays and Tuesday that includes choice of appetizer and entree.  It's $24 for non-vegetarian, and only $19 for vegetarian.

 

I may just have to go back tomorrow.   

 

(photo from Vee Vee's website)

For more info: Vee Vee, 763 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain; 617-522-0145; http://www.veeveejp.com/