By Larry Levine –
This resort has everything. Plush rooms, breath-taking views of the lagoon and the ocean, an Arnold Palmer designed golf course, a top notch spa, and Vivace, a restaurant that’s worth a visit whether you are staying at the resort or not.
Just walking through the entrance and lobby and along the hallway to reach Vivace will hint of the treat that awaits you. Then, when you walk into the room that is Vivace, you instantly feel that style and class will be the order of the night. Class, yes, but stuffy, no. The staff is friendly and helpful. The menu is exciting and the food thrills from the aromas that drift from the plates to the tastes that greet the tongue. And there’s a wine list to meet every taste and every menu item.
We’ve dined at Vivace countless times and every course of every meal has been a winner. On my latest visit I had a wonderful octopus medley appetizer, a delightful lobster risotto, a perfectly cooked pork chop entrée and excellent sorbet for dessert. Jennifer started with a baby beet salad with burrata cheese and walnuts, shared my risotto, had a wonderful flat iron steak entrée and finished with a unique and delicious tiramisu. Nephew Bryan started with an excellent roasted tomato soup special, went on to a perfectly cooked branzino on a bed of mussels, clams and shrimp and finished with a chocolate soufflé. Niece Lisa opened with gnocchi with roasted capon, wild mushrooms and butternut squash in brodo and then did the flat iron steak and tiramisu. Not a weak spot in the list.
The menu changes frequently to provide the freshest in seasonal offerings. It’s surprisingly no pricier than any other upscale restaurant. It’s romantic, elegant and a culinary Everest.
Vivace is located at the Park Aviara Resort, 7100 Four Seasons Point in Carlsbad. Phone number is (760) 603-6999. The web site is http://www.ParkAviara.hyatt.com.
