wine bar

Gia Wine and Grill, Montreal, 9/22/23

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exterior – 1025 Rue Lenoir, Montréal, QC H4C 2Z6, Canada

Gia Vin and Grill opened in December and is known for their grilled meats, which unfortunately are only available at night.  It’s tucked away below the highway and in the shadow of the adjacent Home Depot.  However, once you get inside you’ll forget the location, except when you see the cars going by out the window.    Lots of light wood, marble, green tile, exposed ductwork and 60s and 70s music in the background.  A long bar also has seating in addition to the small tables.  As the name would imply they do have a lot of wines and the helpful servers (Tatianna was great) will guide your selection to go with the dishes you choose.  We enjoyed our lunch but I suspect evening offers a better selection of dishes.  They ranked #36 on the Best of Canada list. Continue reading →

Estro – Vino e Cucina, Venice, 12/14/22

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exterior – Dorsoduro 3778 Crosera, Calle S. Pantalon, 30123 Venezia VE, Italy

Estro – Vino e Cucina was opened in 2014 by brothers Alberto and Dario Spezzamonte with the former leading the kitchen and Dario in the front of the house and wine program.  It is a wine bar serving modern-style Venetian cuisine and Cicchetti.  Of the 2 rooms in the place, the first is the bar and snack area and the second room has a dozen small tables for seated dining.  The walls surround you with wine, the floor is stone, a wood ceiling is above that dangles candles, faint music is in the background, and spotlights illuminate the individual tables.  They have an a la carte menu, daily specials and 3 or 4 course tasting menus.  We created our own tasting of sorts by splitting a number of dishes.  The food is inventive and fun. Continue reading →

Epicure Restaurant and Bar, Dripping Springs, TX., 11/23/22

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exterior – Clocktower Shopping Center, 1025 Cannon Dr Ste 105, Dripping Springs, TX 78620

Epicure Market is a tiny spot in a most unlikely location, where you’d never expect to find fine food and wine at a good price point.  Executive Chef Julio Llop turns out some fabulous foods to pair with the huge selection of wine put together by Wine Curator Jerry Gray.  They call it global cuisine but I call it really tasty as they use the finest quality meats and cheeses and locally sourced organic produce and proteins when possible.  Chef, with the help of Gray makes everything from scratch in their kitchen.  There are not many tables but a few chairs at the bar counter add to the options, however, reservations would be in order.  The walls are lined with wines and other items for purchase, with lowered lighting and excellent service.  It is a cozy atmosphere and it felt like I’d known Jerry forever, he’s that friendly, as was Kristine our terrific server.  It did help that we went with another couple that live in the area and frequent the place, but the vibe is to make the guest feel indulged, especially about eating and drinking.  If you are anywhere nearby or want to make a hill country trip, put this place on your agenda. Continue reading →

El Viñedo Local, Atlanta, 9/10/22

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exterior – 730 Peachtree St NE #100, Atlanta, GA 30308

El Viñedo Local translates to ‘the local vineyard’ and that’s what this place is – a place to enjoy South American plates, wines, and coffees.  This is not Central American or Mexican food and so is not so spicy.  Empanadas and ceviche are a big part of what Chef Bruno Vergara brings to the menu.  Owner Robert Kaster was on site and came by to visit with every table and make sure that all was good – a nice touch.  We were there for a snack with friends and ordered some of their small plates to share.  It is one large room with most being inside the building with one wall open to the outside.  The roof over the outside tables is not solid, but the umbrellas would be better for sun than rain.   It did have one long table in the inside room and seats at the bar counter.  It’s right down the street from a theater so parking is as you can find it.  Good wine choices and tasty food make this a nice spot to visit. Continue reading →

Lucian Books and Wine, Atlanta, 9/9/22

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exterior –3005 Peachtree Rd. NE Suite 300, Atlanta, GA., 30305

Lucian Books and Wine is a book shop that also serves lunch and dinner Tues. through Saturday.  Named for artist Lucian Freud it is a small gem of a place.  It has a large, thoughtful wine list along with amazing food from Chef Brian Hendrickson, with a backdrop of books to browse and/or buy.  The single room has an aisle that passes by the tall bookshelves and on the other side of a low wall are small tables and a bar.  The bar is set with chairs also.  The menu changes with the seasons and is fairly small at lunch.  Since we were there with another couple we were able to try a great many of their offerings and they were all wonderful, some crossing over to the spectacular level.  The service was outstanding and I strongly urge you to try this place if you get a chance. Continue reading →

Beckley 1115 , Dallas, 10/30/21

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exterior

Beckley 1115, a wine bar and casual restaurant, opened in early October this year by longtime chef Sharon Van Meter.  Van Meter currently also works with an event space at Trinity Groves and previously served as chef at Neiman Marcus downtown and later as executive chef.  Her inspiration here was to create something welcoming, casual and affordable and I think she has done just that.  There are lots of tables outside, an adjacent parking lot and a nice bar inside as well as tables.  Frankie and I caught up with a friend there and they were happy to have us sit and visit for several hours and kept the coffee coming during a Saturday brunch.  They also offer dinner and lunch and I took pictures of the menus for you.  I look forward to going back and trying more of her dishes and visiting with all the friendly service people. Continue reading →

Urban Vines, Dallas, 4/5 and 5/25/18

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building
building

Urban Vines is a large place in East Dallas.  They are open for lunch and dinner and offer snacks if you just want a place to drink some wine.  You enter through a patio with a large fireplace and plenty of outdoor seating into bar area that adjoins the dining area.  Some bench seating, regular tables and high top tables are available.  Tables are bare wood but cloth napkins are part of the set up.  The walls display art, some of which is for sale.  Different days offer specials and Thursday is half price wine by the glass. Two of the walls have large windows letting in some natural light in the daytime but in the evening the lighting is fairly low.  The menu offers sandwiches, flatbreads and a few bigger dishes.  Frankie and I visited a couple times to try some of the options.  It is a casual place with friendly and helpful servers and while the food is not outstanding it is a perfectly adequate place to meet with friends over wine and food. Continue reading →