I love an excellent ladies night but even more than that… I love an unexpected one!
I ended up staying in NYC this Thursday night and got a spontaneous dinner with one of my friends (and one of her old co-workers). Despite the icky Manhattan weather, we ventured out to Wine:30 in the Murray Hill area. I’ve been a huge fan of this place since the fall but hadn’t been able to make it over in several months.
Wine:30 is a super cute restaurant that has a great atmosphere with a couple of small rooms so its not a one big loud room. Plus, I’m often dining solo and the bar is perfect for that. Its a great place to grab a glass of wine or appetizer… or a whole meal. The cast of characters at Wine:30 is also really consistent. I always see the owner there and he seems to know everyone who walks in the door. I almost felt like a celebrity on Thursday when he asked where I had been the past few months.
The owner, Volkan Muti, seated my party of 3 in their relatively newly opened private wine cellar area. Its super neat and such a great space. The pictures on the Wine:30 site really showcase much better than words…. so check them out.
But on to the meal!
Wine
It’s a wine bar…. so obviously we had wine. One of my favorite Wine:30 team members, Hakan, picked a great bottle for the three of us to share. Perfect wine, perfect price.
Appetizers
- Bruschetta of Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, Melted Gruyere
- Fresh Tuna Wrapped in Shredded Wheat & Pan Seared, with Seaweed Salad and Wasabi Sauce
I’ve been a fan of this appetizer for a long time so it was great to have it again. I have no idea how they get shredded wheat around these nuggets of Tuna… but its delicious.
The bruschetta was also super tasty… clearly we ate it too quickly to take a picture of it. The bruschetta variety is really great here and it feels like there is something for everybody on the menu.
Main Eats
- Red Wine Seared Hanger Steak. Served With Creamy Polenta & Sautéed Spinach
I’m a fan of pretty much everything on the menu… and have eaten a lot of it as well. So on this occasion I delegated my dinner choice to one of the best guys there, Hakan. He does an incredible job pairing meals and knows what I like. The hanger steak is delicious. De-lic-ious.
The other ladies had different things on the menu – one had the halibut and the other had the zucchini pancake appetizer. Both great choices!
Dessert
- Cheesecake {… I think Oreo?}
- Banana Bread Pudding
- Red Velvet Cupcakes
It almost seems like a lie when I say I’m not a dessert person because every time I come to Wine:30… I get dessert. It is always the tasty little Red Velvet Cupcakes because they are just perfect.
The other ladies each had a dessert as well (as you can see) and we toasted the end of a great night by each having a red velvet cupcake. The dessert menu seems to change frequently at Wine:30 which is great so I can’t remember what the other girls had – but clearly I sampled both … and loved both.
Love returning to a great restaurant…
Love a good ladies night…
Love meeting new friends…