"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!

An Introduction to 'Brock de jour"

Hello,

I wanted to start off by introducing myself. I am just an ordinary resident of the Twin Cities. I work in Minneapolis and live in St Paul. One of my passions is EATING out. I enjoy the many dining options that we have in the Twin Cities and have decided to share my experiences on this blog. If you are looking for a true critic’s rendition of their evening out this is not the place for you.

I am neither a writer nor a world traveler. I don’t have any training or culinary background, aside from a brief stint as a kitchen manager at a large restaurant chain that no longer exists (I considered it assembly line food). You will not find big descriptive words here, nor will you find many that you can’t pronounce. I don’t have a large budget so you won’t find a run down of half the menu every time I eat out.

What you will find here is a simple description based on my experiences, something that I hope most Twin Citians will be able to relate to. While I do enjoy eating this blog is really just a hobby for me.

I hope “Brock de jour” encourages you to get out and enjoy the many excellent restaurants that the Twin Cities metro area has to offer – and avoid those may not be up to par.

I encourage your feedback. Please let me know if my opinions have helped you find a great meal and feel free to share your own.


Thanks for stopping by.