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Y! MyWebBar Review
The Wine Gallery and Café
Large windows and voluminous space exude the feeling of the city in an urban, loft-like environment
Monday, January 07, 2008
As accomplished lounge lizards, it should come as no surprise that we are experienced in the art of all things spirited and liquoricious. This is not entirely the case, however, when it comes to matters of the wine variety, where our skills can occasionally fall short. So when the opportunity arose to visit the Wine Gallery and Café in downtown Dayton, the Lounge Lizards jumped at the chance.
Located at the corner of East Third Street and Wayne Avenue, in the Cannery building, the Wine Gallery and Café's large windows and voluminous space exude the feeling of the city in an urban, loft-like environment. Entering, we found a comfortable spot at one of the many clusters of tables and chairs.
Extras
Photos
Interior view of the Wine Gallery and Café.
Exterior view of the Wine Gallery and Café.
A wine wall runs along a back wall.
Interior view of the Wine Gallery and Café.The Wine Gallery and Café
- WHERE: 424 E. Third St., Dayton [Map]
- HOURS: 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday
- PARKING: On street parking is available on East Third, Sears and Madison streets. There are six spaces available in the Cannery parking lot on Wayne Avenue behind the Wine Gallery. You are also permitted to park in the Area Agency on Aging parking lot at the corner of East Third and Patterson Avenue
- MORE INFO: (937) 224-WINE (9463)
- MORE: Reader ratings, complete profile
Chris, our server, patiently walked us through the wine, specialty beers, cocktails and food selections. Before deciding, we took a few minutes to learn a little more about the wine and how to order.
Luckily for us, the Wine Gallery has made it easy for the novice by offering uniquely named flights (small pours of three selections of wines grouped by wine type). Each flight on the menu (generally priced in the range of $5 to $10) is named with an art-related title. For example, the flight sampling an assortment of up-and-coming whites is called the Art Nouveau, while the classic red wines are the Masterpiece flight. For ease of use, all of the wines are arranged on a tasting menu patrons can keep that has room to take notes about what you thought — handy for beginners and connoisseurs alike.
Knowing we would benefit from some sound advice from a professional, the Lounge Lizards enlisted our practiced wine whiz Mark Fisher to join us and guide us in the groove of the grape. An important step in enjoying a good glass of wine is swirling — not swilling as we had thought — the wine in our glasses and readying our noses for another step we had been omitting ... smelling it.
Craig and Alexis each got a whiff of nothing initially — the fine art of detecting and identifying a scent is a skill that would seem to require more practice.
Upon further sniffing, Craig announced one of his three wines smelled like crickets. After catching his breath from a combination of horror and laughter, Mark smelled the wine, suggesting the crickets smelled more like grapefruit. On second sniff, Craig agreed. In fact, he liked his grapefruit and crickets scent so well, Craig later bought a bottle.
Alexis' choices were more subtle, and she was able, albeit with a great deal of guidance, to identify notes of apple, pear and oak in her flight.
Each flight arrived quickly, and the Lounge Lizards remarked at what a great way this is to explore wines and figure out what you like. Of course, Mark already knew this.
To celebrate our newfound knowledge, we ordered a few food selections from the menu including a cheese tray ($8.95), roasted red pepper dip with pita chips ($7.95) and an olive assortment ($1.75). The cheese plate, while not the most sophisticated collection of cheese and crackers, was a nice assortment and a good value. The olive assortment came in all colors, shapes and sizes and was served up fresh.
Our second trip back found us ordering what we like to refer to as a Lounge Lizard pizza (we call it that, they don't), which is actually a threecheese combination on whole-wheat crust with chicken ($8.99 total) as well as the garlic hamburger ($5.95). Both arrived quickly and having mentioned in passing we would be sharing the sandwich, it arrived on two plates already divided — a nice touch.
The pizza featured fresh ingredients and was made to order. Our favorite selection — the garlic burger — was bursting with garlic flavor, enhancing hidden flavors in the wines.
In addition to an extensive wine list, the Wine Gallery and Café also offers a menu of mixed cocktails that features unusual pairings of wine drinks and sparkling wine drinks with other mixers, wines, liqueurs and liquors. Highlights include the Andy Warhol (rosé wine with cranberry juice and a twist of lime, $4.75), Rembrandt (sparkling wine and raspberry liqueur, $7) and Alexis' personal favorite, the Czar Nicholas (white port, Russian cranberry liqueur and a splash of club soda, $4.75). These luscious palate pleasers are refreshing, light and sophisticated — perfect for a relaxing visit with friends, especially as the weather warms.
It is worth noting that if you prefer a drink mixed more sweet or dry or would like to make a tweak to the recipe, the staff is happy to accommodate. One particular drink we hit on was a combination of vodka, Hypnotic liquor and lychee liquor that made for a compelling combination of flavors.
The menu also features desserts, as well as a list of dessert drinks to cap off the evening. On another visit, we chose the Banana Cream Pie Dessert cocktail ($4.95) and the Mudslide Martini ($8). Our drinks arrived and were beautifully presented. About halfway through, Alexis and Craig decided to listen to their inner mixologist and combine the two drinks together, creating a chocolate banana cream pie, a perfect medley of both dessert and cocktail.
The Wine Gallery and Café opened in late November under the leadership of proprietor Brian Linnean and has continued to refine and develop its offerings with a new and improved menu set to arrive in mid-April. If you are looking for a few bottles of wine to pick up and try at home, the Wine Gallery offers a large selection of wine by the bottle at state minimums. If you see something you like during a visit, you can sit down, and, for a corkage fee of $5, enjoy the bottle there. If wine isn't your thing, they also offer a selection of mixed drinks and craft beers by the bottle.
The Wine Gallery and Café is a bar, a wine shop, a bistro and an altogether great gathering place, and the best part is, whether you're a novice or a have a sophisticated wine palate, something's there waiting with your name on it.
