"Spill The Wine"

Spill The Wine (1101 Washington Ave S. Minneapolis. 612-339-3388)

Last night I headed out to Spill The Wine. After making a reservation on http://www.opentable.com/ I wondered in around 8:45. This was my first experience at this restaurant and I didn’t really know what to expect. The restaurant was sparsely filled and we were eagerly greeted. We asked to sit at the bar for a quick drink before being sat. Once the bartender showed up, we settled into a summer inspired white wine flight and a glass of Argentinean Malbec from the Trivento winery. Despite the name of the restaurant, our bartender was not extremely knowledgeable about the wine selections. This was fairly disappointing when spending $7 - $14 for a glass. While on this topic, the wine selection was listed by region and then by color. This made it easy for the novice wine drinker to decipher. The list was also fairly extensive and offered plenty of choice from around the world.

The atmosphere was fairly typical of many downtown restaurants in that location; open and airy with exposed brick walls, and open ceiling that was covered with dramatic tapestries and enhanced with subtle lighting. Seating was enjoyable, as the tables were not crammed together, giving you a nice sense of privacy. The sound level was low, but this may have had to do more with the occupancy than anything else. One of my favorite decorating techniques was enlisted at Spill The Wine. Local artist’s work was hung throughout the restaurant, making each visit just a little different.

Our food included a bowl of the Grilled Chicken and Noodle Soup. While the grilling gave this soup a leg up on Campbell’s, it came out only luke warm and was not as exciting as I had hoped. In addition the heat of summer didn’t seem quite the appropriate season for this soup de jour.

Things did get better from their however. The Caprese salad was excellent. The pesto that was drizzled on top was brilliantly flavored and the Buffalo Mozzarella was wonderfully fresh. The Balsamic reduction, while fairly standard, enhanced this classic Italian salad nicely.

This was then followed by the fresh catch. Grilled Salmon resting on a bead of spinach layered atop a slice of grilled ciabetta. While bread can add to any meal, the ciabetta was only so-so. The Spinach made it very soggy, which sort of defeated the purpose of grilling it. For the condiment lover, a generous portion of homemade tartar sauce was layered on top. I am normally not a fan of tartar sauce but this was rich and buttery with only a hint of pickled flavor. It made up for the spongy bread. On the side came some perfectly grilled Asparagus. While the presentation was a little dull, the grilling really made the Asparagus pop with flavor.

All in all it was a good meal. I will certainly go back. Hopefully the bartender will have a little more experience with the wine offerings next time. I should also mention our wait person. She was very knowledgeable about the menu and was extremely pleasant. She had perfect timing and really added to our experience.

Spill The Wine also offer a lounge side which was a little more lively and boasts a little boutique wine shop in the back. Defiantly worth a stop if you are looking for a nice bottle to take home on your way out of the city.

Don't forget the large mural on the wall in the mian dining room. If you don't figure it out before leaving, ask!