The Vandal Review – A Gem in the Heart of Lawrenceville

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The Vandal is Aging Like a Fine Wine

We've been to The Vandal several times over the past ten years, but admittedly, we hadn't visited in a while. We were pleasantly surprised on our most recent visit- the food and atmosphere struck a perfect balance between comforting and elevated, and showcases how the restaurant keeps getting better and better as time goes on.

The Vandal's space is tiny, and reservations are essential. We got a last-minute reservation at the bar, which was great for talking with the bartenders and getting recommendations. We started with a few cocktails, the Smokeshow and Rob Roy's Sazerac. The Smokeshow featured mezcal, Montenegro, Benedictine, fig, and lapsang souchong, which had just the right amount of smokiness. The sazerac included scotch, vermouth, bitters, and a pastis rinse, and it was booze-forward but balanced.

The wine list here is quite extensive and features smaller producers and unique finds, with a focus on old-world wines. There were many options by the glass, including several choices each for sparkling, white, rose, and red.

To start, we tried the delicata squash fritters, which were rings of squash fried in a light batter and topped with chili honey, aioli, and scallions. They looked like onion rings, but tasted even better than that with a super light and crispy coating. The balance of creamy and spicy-sweet sauces on top was delicious!

In the shareable plates section of the menu, we tried the mussels with cider, bacon, and ciabatta. The mussels were tender and creamy, and the toothsome, smoky hunks of bacon were a perfect foil for them. Also in the shareable plates section, the roasted juusto cheese with smoked beets, stone fruit, and endive was a celebration of fall with lots of rich, earthy flavors and delicious melty cheese.

For entrees, we opted for the duck confit and the roasted pork chop. The pork chop was served with cabbage puree, fig jam, and mustard jus. The meat was juicy and cooked to tender perfection, and we loved that the plate was very saucy with the cabbage and mustard sauces. The fresh figs on top gave the dish a luxurious and fancy feeling. It was a very fall dish with lots of comforting and rich flavor notes.

With boudin blanc sausage, a squash puree, vadouvan, and apple, the duck confit was one of our favorite dishes of the night. The crispy skin on the duck was everything we hoped for, and the sweet squash puree and warming spices of the vadouvan excellently balanced the richness and meatiness of the duck.

We couldn't resist dessert, and we had no regrets ordering the baked custard with creme anglaise, whipped cream, caramel, and stewed apples. The custard slice was so sumptuous and the velvety creme anglaise had just the right amount of sweetness, with the apples on top adding a touch of tartness.

There's so much to love about The Vandal: the intimate space, the focused menu, the seasonal nature of the ingredients, and of course, the well-executed plates with delicious flavors that hit all the right notes. We definitely won't make the mistake again of waiting so long until our next visit, as this one just keeps getting better as time goes on!

The Vandal is located at 4306 Butler Street.