Vintage Caffe’ at Mankas Corner

Reopened under new ownership.
I do love this place. My friends and I meet there often and have a great time. The Truffle Mac & Cheese is scrumptious also love the calamari and beet salad. I have had both hors d’oeuvres only and dinner and found the food to be very good. In the spring and summer eating on the patio is great, especially with the outdoor fireplace the new owners have added. Very nice.
I have two problems with the new business model. The first is the wine list. The prices are outrageous. They are outrageous for Napa Valley and this is in Suisun Valley. $ 82.00 for a bottle Rombauer Chardonnay? Crazy. Also, the Vezer’s own this restaurant and have marked their own wines through the roof. The selection of wines offered is also limited and the list is heavily laden with Vezer wines. My second negative is the lighting at night. They have no dimmers, so the light is as bright at noon as it is at 8pm.
I’m not going to stop going, but now I bring my own wine and pay a corkage fee and since the weather is nice, sit outside where the lighting suits the time of day.

Closed? I just called and the place is OPEN. Can’t wait to have the spaghetti carbonara — yummy! However, the last time we went last year for Mother’s Day brunch was less than enjoyable.

Went here for breakfast and all I can say is YUCK… worse food ever.

The wine guy at Vezer Winery got me nice and buzzed before he recommended this place for our lunch. My brother and I very happily made our way over to find some good eats to help me digest the yummy wine sloshing around in my tummy.
This place is completely unassuming. For one thing, there are only about three parking spaces so we ended up parking along the road with two or three tires in the dirt. For another thing, we went into the wrong place (had Vezer in the name and was related to the Winery we just left) but were kindly directed next door.
The restaurant feels kind of like a diner, but is divided into two rooms. One large room (where we sat) had a long counter and lots of tables. The other room had some sort of women’s meeting taking place. Our room wasn’t so busy with only three or four other tables occupied.
My brother and I each got burgers. I got a special that had swiss cheese (I don’t like swiss cheese but I just LOVED this juicey delight) and my brother got a more signature (traditional) burger. I think that I was a whole heck of a lot more enthusiastic about my burger than my brother was (could have been the buzz).
Our service was okay. I mean, our server took our orders and brought our food in a timely manner. Definitely wasn’t overly friendly. Like, no warm fuzzy welcoming anything. This was not Cheers or your friendly, neighborhood haunt. There weren’t any nice, busty ladies who remind you of your Aunt Maude calling you honey and asking you how life is treatin’ ya. It also wasn’t your classy, top-​notch service place. No. The service was just bla. My buzz went flat.

We went to the Vintage for Myriam’s birthday. She chose the location, because it is in fact a quiet place serving fine foods with outdoor eating. The latter is probably the biggest key, since we all like to eat outdoors.
Since we have 2 kids, it was great to find a kids menu with chicken strips & fries or fish & fries. Liz had the fish, which I tried & found to be good. Of course, Ian ate the chicken & loved it. Both came with a MOUND of fries. So much that Ian couldn’t finish his fries. Apparently the chef made a mistake & made an adult sized order of each, which was 1 more piece of fish & chicken per order. The orders were huge & well worth the $ 7.
Myriam & I both had the Sea Bass dish served with risotto & asparagus. It was tasty in its own right, I guess I was just use to the steamed Sea Bass from Sticky Rice & was expecting something more like that. Not a complaint more of a comparison. It was very good. But $ 27 for a sea bass, which really tasted like cooked talapia or a plain white fish (pollock), mmmm kinda pricey.
That said, the ambience is superb & if you love outdoor eating, this is the place to go to combine that with fine dining. We arrived right around 1700 on a Tuesday; we were the only party there, which was fine by us. Clearly Vintage has back rooms set for large groups since a party of 20 or so walked in all at once & went straight to the back. This being the wine country of Solano County, there a bar on the west side of and separated from the restaurant.
This is a great place for fine American dining.

I agree with a lot of the reviews that this really is a nice place and that the ambiance is ideal and the service is impeccable. For what the food is, it’s not worth it to me though.
This is one of those restaurants where you need to look up things on the menu to figure out what they are. That being said, I’m a limited eater — I only eat seafood and poultry — so I got insanely disappointed when one of the chicken dishes I wanted to eat had ham wrapped in it (the word for «ham» was something nuts that I couldn’t even pronounce). I’m sure I could’ve asked them to make it without it but I decided to go with the ravioli instead. Had the spinach and ricotta — it was okay, a little dry and bland for my taste but I can see it’s appeal for people who aren’t particularly spicy eaters and also like lots of tomatoes. The entrees run anywhere from $ 10 – 30 though. I think my ravioli was $ 14 — not worth it to me.
The desserts on the other hand were delicious! Their gelato is the talk of the town but I had the boat-​sized crème brûlée and it was spectacular! It wasn’t warm though, which was kind of a drag, but the taste was all there… but I think they could’ve added some more berries on top.
Overall, it’s a nice little place and I think that if you’re one of those hi-​fi, wine drinking, take the scenic drive to get there types, you’ll love it. Me personally? I’d say, pass the pepper cause I’m going to need it if I’m back here again.

Really enjoyed Vintage. Set in the middle of an agricultural area Vintage feels like you’re really in the country. I had the gnocchi, hubby had spaghetti and meatballs, both were good. The salad was eh nothing to write home about. The balsamic dipping sauce for the bread was to die for. Sadly it was DEAD only 3 tables were occupied. Hopefully this is only because it was a Wednesday night.

Love love this place! Authentic Italian cuisine located in the cutest neighborhood. Close to vineyards, art shops, Larry’s Produce… very convenient.

In the who knew Fairfield had a wine country part of the town, this little restaurant is really nice and the food is decent. I enjoy heated outdoor patios for both evening and day dining and this place offers a really cute patio.

Most would never venture to the Vintage Caffe except to get to someplace else and just happen upon it when rounding Mankas Corner. But it’s well worth the stop. The food is real Italian and the wines are mostly local Napa and surrounding area. The pasta, sea food, and veal dishes are great. They have patio dining, inside casual, and inside white table cloth. But, it doesn’t matter where you sit, the service is great and the setting is comfortable. Bread is good and served with EVO and balsamic vinegar and all entrees are healthy size portions. We like to stop in at CalYees, Wooden Valley Winery and Vintage Caffe when we just happen to near Mankas Corner.

I really enjoy the Vintage Caffe. The food and service is outstanding. Love that it is 5 minutes from my house. The can accomodate a large group, but I would not bring children here, more of an adult restaurant. The service can be hit or miss. Some times they are all over you and other times you are looking around for your waiter. With our large group most of us were happy with our meals a few were a little dissapointed with what they ordered. All in all a good consistent place to have a nice brunch, lunch or dinner.

I’m really enjoying being back in the Bay Area for awhile… just having an Arizona flashback as it’s 107 degrees near Napa today!!! Anyway, having lunch with family. The three of us women were out for olive oil and wine tasting and definitely worked up an appetite.
This place has really cute, homey vibe… it’s definitely a far cry from a chain restaurant. We were greeted and seated almost immediately. I really wish it had been cooler out in order to enjoy the really attractive patio. The menu is extensive and included a separate «daily special» sheet including seafood salads, speciality sandwiches, pastas etc at $ 8 – 13 which seemed reasonable. My mom and I opted for the caesar salad with grilled salmon ($ 9.75) and while she chose the hot pastrami and swiss (same price) with a side of fruit. I think that our salads were definiteily the better selection and I enjoyed the nice portion of marinated salmon and fresh parmesean cheese with homemade croutons.
Overall, a good dining experience. We sat and talked for quite a while after lunch and waters remained full (a real must in that heat). I noticed many of the entrees being served and I have to say that they don’t serve extremely large portions. Maybe that’s a good thing for those of us who are continually watching our weight :)

Good restaurant in a quiet location. Food is not inexpensive, but manageable. The salad’s are huge and my mom loves their onion soup. When I was last there I had a shrimp louis. One of my pet peeves is when you pay around $ 15 for a salad and they put like one shrimp on it. VC does pretty good though as there were 5 – 6 shrimp along with a slew of other veggies and a fresh dressing. All in all, it’s probably one of the better restaurants in the area.

Checked this place out with my date last night since it had good reviews.
As we were driving there, we were like, where the hell is this place at? In the booneys? Haha. Ended up being on the side of the road, in the middle of NOWHERE. Pretty funny actually.
It has a cute look inside. Perfect for couples. Yellow theme, I’m loving it. We ordered take-​out. I ordered the spaghetti, and my date ordered raviolli sampler. Don’t know how much his cost, but my spaghetti was about $ 13, and it was good. YUMMY! My date finished his meal too, so I’m guessing he liked it too!
Menu was a bit pricey, but other than that, food is delicious!

Finally decided to check it out after hearing good things for a while. I’m used to having the cheapest car in any given parking lot, but from the look and feel of this place I was apprehensive about how much it would cost and how they would feel about the way I was dressed. I was pleasantly surprised.
The prices were reasonable, especially for the size of the portions and quality of food. Two full lunches and one huge slice of cheesecake for less than $ 40. I walked away full.
The service was great. We were one of, at the most, three tables in the restaurant, but the waitress avoided the two traps servers generally fall into when it’s slow: Hovering or Ignoring.
Overall: Awesome. A. Will dine again.

What a lovely gem! My hubby took me here for brunch on valentine’s day. Eggs Florentine, waffle and latte = Yum. The service was nice and quick. Prices reasonable. The toast was delish. Overall, they had great quality food.
The outdoor patio was adorable. I wish it hadn’t been so cold and rainy or I would have wanted to sit out there.
I want to go back and try lunch and dinner now! And maybe in spring or summer so I can take advantage of that darling patio.
Warning — Parking can be a bit of a challenge if they’re busy.

I went to this restaurant to meet a friend for lunch. I thought that the location would be good for the both of us and I had been meaning to check it out. I was coming from the American Canyon area and he was coming from Suisun. We wanted Italian and I had heard about this place, so I suggested it. I must say, I was very disappointed. First of all, it was just a little after noon when we arrived and we were told that they were out of whatever it was that I was originally planing on ordering. I can’t recall what it was, but how in the world can they be out of something at the beginning of the lunch rush?
The waitress was great though! And she was right on top of things! She was friendly and cheerful and kept our water glass full. But the food was not that great!
The parking is limited, so if you get there after the lunch crowd hits, you will have to park down the side of the road in the dirt. If your only choice is Olive Garden, then I would suggest heading out to the Vintage Caffe’, but if you are craving some good Italian food, I would suggest going elsewhere.

This used to be the best restaurant in Fairfield, period. But that was when Nicola ran it. Right now, it sucks in all departments: food quality, service, price.
Last night we had dinner there. My husband asked if we were given some attitude from the server when she discovered we had no reservations. Perhaps so, i just didn’t care, I was so hungry.
The red wine, although delicious, was slightly warm, which made it seem more alcoholic (red wine should be served at cellar temperature, ~ 60F). The salads arrived before the bread, and the entrees arrived before the salads were finished.
I had the mahi-​mahi with mango salsa. Quite honestly, I could have bought frozen mahi-​mahi at Trader Joe’s along with their mango salsa, and put together a dish of the same quality, albeit much cheaper than the $ 20 tab. My husband ordered the ossobuco, which was very tasty, especially because we’re very fond of meatballs in tomato sauce (can you notice the sarcasm here?).
The presentation of the food is without thought. It is almost like the fish or the meat gets thrown in there, with some overcooked green beans by the side. No effort is being made into making the dish look appetizing.
And the kicker is that the prices of these entrees are in par with what you would pay in Napa or Sonoma, yet the quality is a far cry from it. On another visit we ordered the trio of ravioli. They were quite tasty, but there were THREE ravioli in the plate, for a cost of $ 22. For a pocket of pasta with a dollop of stuff inside. Come on…
I have vowed never to go back again.

I was taken here for lunch by a colleague while on a visit to Fairfield. We sat outside and I thought it was quite nice. The waitress was also very nice, as were the other people who worked at the restaurant.
I ordered the crab cake salad with brie cheese, which was really good (especially with the crusty bread they bring). A colleague had the tri tip salad, which looked really good, and another colleague had a sandwich, which also looked really good.
I’m not sure if I buy that this place is Italian based on what I saw on the menu, but the food that I had was very good. For those people who would even consider going to the Olive Garden (or any other chain) and consider that to be good food, I pity you.

First, kudos to Steve S. — I read his review and took a chance with my wife and met a friend here who drove up from the Bay area.
In a lonely corner of the world, where Mankas Corner turns toward Napa, you’ll find this small Italian restaurant café that hands down serves up some of the best food you’ll likely ever have. The exterior is an inviting mix of roadside restaurant and Italian villa café, from which emanated the happy sounds of people having a private party on their enclosed patio. As we entered, we thought we might get a seat there — but were told it had been rented for a private party — and instead were ushered into their dining room, which at first looked non-​existent. (Hint: Patio if the weather is good, dining room for more formal eating — ask for a window table, and the café’s bar area for a quick bite on the go.)
After being seated in the large and expansive «hidden away» dining area, we were pleased to see many daily specials and offered drinks by the waiter. Our waiter was well read, and provided good service, as we split a bottle of nice Pinot with the meal. The wine selection is very, very good — including selections from Napa and Italy. (We went with a 2004 Crema Pinot, which was perfect.) While our waiter seemed a bit slow at times, he was still attentive and brought us a full basket of fresh Italian bread and water with the meal.
We split a tri-​tip Cesar salad as an appetizer, an order of their brushetta (one piece with olive spread, one with tomatoes, one with mushrooms) and ordered up our main course. My friend asked the server (not the waiter) for additional salad dressing, but it never showed up. Also, I thought the tri-​tip was a little overcooked.
I got their Gorgonzola Gnocchi, our friend had the lobster ravioli, and my wife had tomatoes with capellini. I got the best of the bargain. A very creamy Gorgonzola sauce with excellent flavored and aldente pinkie sized gnocchi. Just enough sauce, and not swimming in it. The lobster ravioli (we all shared meals) was good, but had a bit of a tuna flavor to the red sauce, and our friend thought it was reminiscent of Chef Boyardee. My wife’s Capillini was a bit overcooked (soft) but had a nice, rounded flavor to it.
For afters, we each got a dessert, but our waiter presented our friend’s with a candle — since it was his birthday. Also, he never put it on our bill. =) That made up for the slow service. I had the pistachio ice cream (Said to be spumoni, but there wasn’t much cherry or chocolate — which was fine by me, as I like pistachio the best anyway) — which were three HUGE scoops, and my wife had the dark chocolate mousse. The dark chocolate mousse was done *exactly* as it should be served, light — yet very rich — definitely the best dessert.
When we had finished, we were given the bill, which after considering we had a full bottle of $ 40 wine, appetizers and desserts — was very reasonable. Not cheap, but well worth the trip off our beaten path.
This is one we definitely will remember and return to. (Thanks Steve S!)
[Note: Closed for dinner on Mondays, and they are closed for (dinner) service from 2:30−5pm, but open for breakfast on weekends at 8:30 until close at 9:30pm.]