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WineBar 65 2nd Avenue (between 3rd and 4th Streets) Range: $45–$50 per person including taxes and tip Rating: |
The name on the building is deceptively simple, as are the appearances of the menu and the wine list. The menu, which includes appetizers, salads, and entrees, fits on two pages, while the wine list fits on three. The options almost seem limited, but Wine Bar proves that excelling with at few things is far better than failing at many.
What first catches your attention in Wine Bar is the décor—bright red walls, dark-stained communal tables that seat six or seven, and wall shelves laden with wine bottles. The space is warm, inviting, and cozy. (Imagine the KGB Bar converted into a quaint rustic pub.)
True to its name, Wine Bar offers wines from Italy, France, and Spain, with several selections of reds and whites from each. The sommelier has chosen labels to represent the various wine-producing regions of Europe’s top three wine countries. (But be forewarned: If you’re not in the mood for wine, don’t bother stopping in because the non-wine drinking choices are limited.)
You can order eight to ten wines from each country by the glass; the rest are available only by the bottle. Wine Bar also offers several “flights,” a sampling of three wines served with cheeses and breads. And if you have trouble deciding which wine to order or if you want something different from what you normally get but can figure out what to try, ask the wait staff; they are quite knowledgeable about the wines.
Although the restaurant specializes in wines, the food is surprising delicious and complements the wine offerings well. The cheese platter appetizer features a nice assortment, mostly soft white European cheeses, along with fig paste, almonds, and crostini. The octopus salad is an unexpected treat: unlike most “salads” that are mostly octopus chunks in a vinaigrette, this salad actually contained green leaves, slices of roasted red pepper, and capers.
The main courses offer tempting combinations of flavors. The grilled lamb is tender and not meaty, served over a bed a cucumber slices and drizzled with a cumin mustard sauce with a few raisins for a touch of sweetness. The prosciutto flatbread is a salty confection of prosciutto slices, gorgonzola dolce, and figs on a thin crust pizza.
Even the Buddha Bar-esque music flowing through the sound system adds to the cozy, ethereal ambience in Wine Bar. It plays loud enough to be heard, but not so loud it overwhelms the conversation.
The Wine Bar experience is reminiscent of the Euro-Italian slow food movement. The wait staff is moderately attentive, but not neglectful. The food and drink come at a leisurely pace, but not so long you feel forgotten. And no one is rushing you out the door once the dinner plates are cleared; you can relax, sip your wine, and enjoy the warming atmosphere.
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