YN

So, I’m a little far behind on writing my latest review. I went to YN last Tuesday at 227 Mott St in Nolita. It opened in the beginning of 2012, so it’s relatively new.

When I first walked up to the bar, the large windows in the front were open and the sounds of jazzy music were floating out to the sidewalk. I pushed on the metal door only to find that it wouldn’t open. Oops, maybe I was supposed to pull. I pulled and got the same result. Confused, I looked inside the bar to find it empty, but noticed that there was a sign outside declaring happy hour to be from 4 to 7pm. It was after 6. As I was just about to turn around and find another wine bar to review, the bartender jogged up and told me that he had locked the door while he was out for a smoke. At least I was getting in! I followed him into the narrow and dimly lit space and took a seat at the bar. I ended up being the only one there for a while, so the bartender chatted with me for a bit until more people started arriving around 7.

I appreciate the details in wine bars, so I really liked that the menu was made of cork. The wines were well selected and were all from Europe and California. Glasses of wine were $9 to $13 and all $9 glasses were $7 during happy hour. Bottles started at $36 and were no more than $120. Each of the wines had brief tasting notes as well, which is supposed to help you make a choice, but I couldn’t make up my mind because they all sounded so delicious. The bartender was really friendly and asked if he could make a suggestion. I asked him what his favorite wine on the menu was and he told me he would pour a wine for me to taste and see if I liked it. He poured a small taste of a ruby red wine that looked bright and tasty. I took a sip and was impressed, so I ordered a glass of it. He told me that it was the Merlot, which surprised me because it didn’t taste like a standard Merlot. It was the 2010 Clic Delle Venezie from Italy and it smelled like strawberry and cedar, with delicate notes of baking spices and dried berries on the palate. It was medium bodied and had a well-balanced acidity. A very enjoyable wine to drink.

The place had a European ambiance to it and I imagine it would be an intimate escape during cold winter evenings. As the evening progressed, the lights were turned down lower and lower, and soon enough candles were providing a nice ambient light for the bar. The music sounded like something out of a classic film and it made me want to do the Charleston or perhaps travel to an earlier era Midnight in Paris-style. There are very few tables since the space is small, so most of the seating is around the bar. The wooden chairs are pretty uncomfortable and feel like they might actually be from the jazz age, but the rest of the bar is clean-lined and it combines old and new elements, particulary with the bright modern art on the wall opposite the bar.

YN has a nicely selected wine list and a friendly and knowledgeable staff, at least in my experience there. It’s a very sweet and sophisticated neighborhood spot with a great old school feel to it. I will be back. I give it a rating of 4.4 out of 5 glasses.

my glass of Merlot

the cork menu