Saturday, January 1, 2011

DiWine



I've been here about 3 or 4 times, its quite good.  Here are my 2 reviews:

1/1/2011

I was here the other night and had some food that tasted fantastic but suffered in the technique department slightly.  The Gorgonzola fondue was amazing in the flavor and very creamy rich cheese, but the bread was cold and not toasted  The cold seafood salad was filled with very good fresh seafood.  The way the squid was cut was unique.  Sliced very thin, fantastic texture, but the dish as a whole could have used a lot more flavor, some citrus or vinegar or something to take the dish to the next level.  The Datil (dates wrapped in bacon) was excellent but the bacon did not hold its wrap around the date, they need to cook it with a toothpick to keep it from falling apart.  This is a dish I always enjoy and they did it right with the texture of the bacon which was perfectly crunchy, and their own spin with a spicy sauce.  A nice variation on the tapas classic.  We enjoyed this very much.  We shared the Smokey Swine pizza, which was disappointing.  The bacon was not cut into pieces and was very difficult to eat on the pizza.  A bit too much cheese.  But lastly the crust was a bit overdone but the center of the pizza was very underdone.  I think the oven might have been too hot.  The last dish we had was the Foie Gras, which again was fantastic in the flavor department but the delivery was a bit off.  Again the bread was not toasted, which would have made it a more enjoyable dish.  But the Foie Gras itself was incredible.  Good mixed drinks too.  Overall I love the music they play and most of the food is very good.  Great friendly service.  I will be back very soon. 


5/24/2009
I live right around the corner from this, and i agree with the reviewer who said this block needed a place like this.  I'm sorry it took me so long to try it.  Wonderful environment, excellent food! The service was casual and friendly.  The ambiance is excellent, dim, lots of wood, dark and lovely.   They have an impressive wine selection, as expected, good prices too.

We had the Kampachi Sashimi to start, excellent fresh Tuna with what i think was spicy mayo, and a soy based sauce.  Very nice sized portion, excellent start.  We also had the 5 cheese plate.  This was very good, but non of the cheeses jumped out at me as being special, or something i could not just pick up at a decent cheese place.  Still, all the cheeses were excellent, especially the Port.  The fig on the side was a nice touch, another great appetizer.  

For the main course we shared a white pizza with fresh mozzarella, blue cheese, peppers and i believe oregano.  I've lived in Italy back in college for a few months so I tend to know what good brick over pizza is, this was not the best i've had but certainly an excellent pizza., prepared perfectly.  The flavors were fantastic, perfectly matched together.  The dough was flavorful and crisp.  At $10, the pizza's are a good size and very worth the visit.  Tiramisu and Cream Brule were both excellent as desserts.

2 Drinks, 2 Apps, 1 Pizza, 2 desserts came to $67.  The music was mainly folk pop, which does match well with the environment, although it can be nauseating at times.  Thankfully there was some Marley in the mix also.  I will definitely return, especially for the pizza!