Review: The Wine Guy Bistro

I had been into the Wine Guy Bistro over the summer when it initially opened to buy a bottle of wine but had not been in to eat.  There was a Groupon not too long ago for Wine Guy, and my cousin said it was one of her favorite restaurants, so I decided I'd buy the Groupon to give it a try!  Ross and I went on a Thursday night.  I hate the parking lot where Wine Guy is located, it is in Rookwood right by the Rusty Bucket.  There is never any parking and you typically have to park over by Don Pablo's or somewhere in that area.....well, the restaurant wasn't too crowded on this night and we were offered to sit inside or outside.  I thought the outdoor area looked really nice and cozy, but it was pretty hot out when we went.  The inside of Wine Guy is very open with wooden tables, a wine bar in the center, and a wine shop on one side of the restaurant.  I liked the decor and the tables but the acoustics made it pretty noisy. 

Ross and I took awhile to look over the menu.  Our waitress greeted us and explained the wine portion of the menu.  She said that there are various wine flights available for $14.99, glasses of wine, or you can purchase wine bottles from the store and pay for the $10 corking fee.  Most glasses of wine ranged between $8-$15.  We thought the better deal was to get one of our favorite Tempranillos at $10 a bottle and pay for the corking fee. 

As we sipped on our wine, our waitress brought a complimentary appetizer of pita wedges with a creamy cheese-type spread.  This reminded me a bit of hummus at first by the looks of it, but it wasn't.  It was cheesy and had a really nice flavor.  I liked this and thought it was a great little appetizer with the wine. 

We looked over the menu and realized many of the items are served in small plates and some are offered in large plates as well.  We asked our waitress what some of her favorite items were, she said the bruschetta, margherita pizza, and spicy shrimp pasta.  Well, we decided to try all three! 

The tomato and basil bruschetta came out first.  The bread was crispy on the crust and soft in the middle.  The tomatoes were very fresh and it was drizzled with balsamic.  I liked that the basil was shredded and there was just the right amount.  I would have liked a little more balsalmic, but this dish was overall very good. 

Next came our margherita pizza.  This was definitely bigger portion than we had anticipated.  After we looked at it, we realized it was very similar to the bruschetta! But that was okay with us.  I liked the tomatoes on this pizza even more than the bruschetta.  They were roasted nicely with just enough sweetness.  We could have easily just eaten these two items, but we wanted to try the shrimp pasta as well.  We had the rest of the pizza boxed up and waited for our pasta.

We had ordered the small plate of the shrimp pasta which was good since we had other items, but I wouldn't say this was enough to share by itself.  This was a great dish! It was definitely spicy though, if you don't like spicy food don't order this.  Luckily we love spicy food and thought it was great!  The shrimp was cooked very nicely and paired well with the linguini.  This was served with a tomato based sauce (yes, more tomatoes) and topped with scallions.  This dish was very light and yummy.  I would get this again for sure. 

Our service at Wine Guy was great!  We wished it was a bit less noisy overall in the restaurant, but it wasn't overly distracting.  We were glad we had our Groupon though because all those dishes with the bottle of wine added up.  This would be a great place to go for a bite to eat with some wine, there are many different cheese plates available, to go and share some dishes with friends, or to just have a glass or two of wine.  I think I will definitely go back!  But don't forget your leftovers! We left ours on the table :(
~Kate

Food: 4
Service: 3.5
Overall Experience: 4

Review: 20 Brix

20 Brix is located in the business district of Milford.  I had been here once before, but I wanted to try it again for Restaurant Week, so my sister and I headed there one night after work.  On a weeknight, there are plenty of spots on the street for parking.  We had a reservation, but it wasn’t too busy by the time we got there.  I was greeted by the hostess who took me to my table and brought me a glass of water.  The server greeted me quickly and pointed out some special items on the menu.  She was very knowledgeable about the wine as well as the menu items. 

One thing I noticed about the wine menu was how big it was! There are tons of different wines to choose from, but the menu was not intimidating at all.  I loved how they made it very simple to navigate through, and you don’t have to be a wine connoisseur to figure out what you want.  It is categorized with titles like “You like merlot but want something different”.  Their glasses of wine and bottles of wine have a wide range of prices for whatever mood you are in and whatever budget you’re on.  I contemplated doing a flight of wine, but settled on a glass of Tempranillo.  Once my sister got there, she ordered a dirty martini.  Both drinks were quickly brought out and were great selections.

We both knew we were going to choose items off the Restaurant Week menu.  For my first course, I went with the carrot and ginger soup.  It sounded different, so I thought I’d try something new.  My sister went with the Julius salad.  The carrot and ginger soup was different but it was really good! Very creamy and had a nice little spice to it.  I wish it would have been a little bit warmer, but overall, I thought it was great.  It was pretty filling, so I wasn’t able to finish all of it.  My sister’s salad was a version of a Caesar salad.  It was topped with a parmesan cheese and an anchovy-infused dressing.  This salad was great as well; it had just enough dressing and was a bit different from the traditional Caesar salad with that dressing. 

The second course I chose was the lamb meatballs, and my sister chose the duck popper.  I thought both of these were delicious. The meatballs were served with a side of grilled country bread and a romesco sauce. The sauce with the meatballs was delicious. They were great on top of the provided bread.  I can’t remember a lot about the duck popper except that it was delicious!  I don’t think this is on their traditional menu, however. The lamb meatballs are though.

So far, we were very pleased with out meals!  My entrée came out, which was shrimp and grits; Kelley ordered the scallops. I LOVED these shrimp and grits.  They were so flavorful with pieces of chorizo and lots of toppings.  The shrimp were good sized and cooked well.  I’ve only had shrimp and grits one other time, and I liked these even better.  I was just disappointed that I was so full! I couldn’t eat all of it.  The scallops were good but not the best that I have had.  I think they could have had a little more flavor to them.  They were a little bland. 

All in all, I loved 20 Brix!  The service was fantastic.  Our server was attentive without being annoying.  She was very helpful with menu items, friendly, and had a smile on her face the whole time.  I’d like to also point out that the manager had stopped by and was very friendly as well.  He initiated conversation and was very welcoming. 

The menu has a wide variety of appetizers, flatbreads, and entrees.  I think it would be a great place to stop in for a glass of wine with an appetizer or two or even a flatbread if you don’t want to spend as much money.  Last time I had gone here, I got a flatbread and it was awesome!  They have tasting events various times throughout the months, but if you're intersted, make reservations early because they sell out! 

~Kate

Food: 4

Service: 5

Overall Experience: 4