Comments (0) BEST POWER LUNCH - 2007

Vincent—A Restaurant

When you think of the power lunch, you usually think of two magnates meeting—and Vincent has that in spades. Some Fridays it's practically a who's who of bigwigs from Target, Macy's, and every publishing, graphic arts, and nonprofit company in town. But what about when you're a mere cubicle-farmer, trying to get the office world's landed gentry to meet you for lunch? It's a problem, and you can't just dangle Popeye's Chicken in front of them, no sir. We have noticed that Vincent is the one invitation bigwigs are powerless to refuse. Is it because of chef Vincent Francoual's legendary résumé? Is it because the dining room at Vincent is so light and airy that it makes everyone feel elegant and important? Is it because throwing out invitations to Vincent displays an amount of power-player know-how that must be reckoned with? Who cares—with service this professional, bread this fresh and sweet-smelling, and food this good, you can take your mind off your meal and get to hyping your big ideas. Food-wise, it's hard to pick a loser. So if you don't get that promotion you're angling for, don't blame the restaurant—at least you ate well.