Last night I went to The Cellar at Beecher’s, which is located in the basement of Beecher’s Handmade Cheese at 900 Broadway. I love the idea of a hidden wine bar, so I was really looking forward to this visit.
It doesn’t seem like much of a secret, however. Even on a Monday night at 6, this place was busy! I’m used to being one of the few, if not only, customers at a wine bar when I go there straight from the office, so this was a pleasant change.
The Cellar has a very cool setting. It definitely has a basement or even cave-like feel to it. Especially when the subway goes rumbling underneath, making your wine ripple like you’re in Jurassic Park and the TRex is coming for you. Anyway, there was an eclectic mix of seating in the bar; a large cowhide couch was in one corner, some of the bar stools were made of oak barrels, there were various plush chairs creating little living room vignettes, and one area had tables and benches made of big stone slabs. It was pretty Flinstone-esque unique and rustic.
Glasses of wine were $9 to $16, although there was a very small selection priced under $12. Bottles were between $33 and $167. All of the wines were from the US, with the majority being from California, Washington, and Oregon. This is the first time I’ve seen solely domestic wines at a wine bar and I was impressed with the selection. I ordered a glass of the 2010 Broadside Cabernet Sauvignon along with a side of their cleverly named “Flagsheep” cheese. When in Rome, right? The wine had a very fragrant nose with notes of rose and raspberry. It tasted like bing cherry and anise and had a full body and a higher alcohol content. It was a very cozy wine, I must say. I sank into the big leather chair a little further and took in the sights. It was then that I noticed a waiter on his way to a table with a glass of wine in his hand…and he was sniffing the wine. Guh-ross. His nose wasn’t completely in the glass, but if you’re going to smell a wine before serving it to make sure it’s in condition, that should be done in a different glass and behind the scenes, right? Maybe I’m just overly germaphobic, but this made me cringe a little.
The service was great and I didn’t feel left wanting for the attention of the waitress. She was very timely and friendly. The wine I had was delicious and I don't necessarily think that it was overpriced for the quality, but I felt that their selection was lacking in the area of value. Maybe their $9 glass of wine is fantastic too, but I would have liked to see more wines around $10-$11. The Cellar is a really, really cool place and it gets big points for the ambiance. Overall, it’s a great choice for a wine bar if you’re in the area and don’t mind spending a little extra on drinks. I give it a rating of 4.2 out of 5 glasses.
It looks like I've finally figured out how to properly work my camera! Look at those legs :P
The stone tables and benches