Vintage Press

Fine Dining in Visalia in a Beautiful Old-World Setting

Review by Lori Jones

“The food delighted us and an evening out in this warm, nostalgic atmosphere was a nice break from our regular routine.”

Vintage Press, Visalia

The Vintage Press has been a popular Visalia restaurant for many years. Owned and operated by several generations of the Vartanian family, it’s located a block north of Visalia’s Main Street, right in the bustling downtown area. This restaurant features upscale American cuisine in a beautiful old-world setting with a lovely bar that feels like it harkens back to the old West. There’s additional outdoor patio seating when weather allows.

Inside, a dining room that evokes the 19th century makes you feel cosseted thanks to loads of mirrors, rich wood paneling, solid wood tables and chairs, and ornate artistic detailing reminiscent of Art Nouveau and Art Deco. Each table held a lit candle and a perfect single dark red rose. The whole place is a stage set for fine dining.

Reservations are recommended, since this place is so lovely as well as popular. We were seated in a padded booth in the main dining area, where the wait staff, all in crisp white shirts and black trousers, were wonderfully friendly and helpful with our food choices. I felt a warm sense of being carefully taken care of throughout our meal.

As you read the extensive bill of fare, you’ll be served a quarter loaf of soft and crusty hot bread with butter, on the house. That’s a nice touch. Daily specials are available as well, and will be described to you by the server.

For a starter, I chose the wild mushrooms in puff pastry with shallots, cognac, tarragon and cream. This dish was presented with Shimeja mushrooms and sauce heaped between sliced puff pastry. The top slice had been fancifully turned perpendicular to the bottom one, so the gleaming, creamy mushrooms in sauce were showcased like a work of art.

Mixed seasonal greens salad topped with blue cheese crumbles and blue cheese dressing, was a festival of fresh produce including lettuces, spinach and cucumber. After the voluptuousness of the mushrooms and flaky pastry, this was tangy, tasty refreshment for the mouth.

Main dishes include a grilled rib eye steak topped with small crispy onions. Teamed with this was a stuffed baked potato and grilled asparagus spears. Cooked medium as I requested, the rib eye held its appetizing pink color in the center. Its texture was perfect too; this was a fine piece of beef. The onion topping made a wonderful crispy contrast to the meat and tender stuffed potato. I surprised myself by eating everything on the plate, though it was a generous portion — the flavors were just that good.

By the way, Dave Vartanian, one of family, came through the dining room during our meal to chat with everyone in the room. I really love that personal approach. It helps make the restaurant feel like a home away from home.

We had a delightful evening at The Vintage Press. The food delighted us and an evening out in this warm, nostalgic atmosphere was a nice break from our regular routine. We can’t wait to return.

Location: 216 North Willis Street, Visalia, CA 93291   map
Phone: 559.733.3033 
Learn More: Website  |  Reservations  |  FaceBook  |  Instagram