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Wednesday
May302012

Casellula Cheese & Wine Cafe

Yesterday, I went to Casellula which is located at 401 W 52nd St. I’ve walked by it a few times and it always looked tempting. A cheese and wine café? It has my name all over it.

When I walked in, I wasn’t greeted right away, so I kind of bumbled around looking for a table that would give me a good angle for taking pictures during my review. As soon as I started to sit down at a 4 person table, I was quickly intercepted and directed to a table for 2. It was a little unsettling, but I figured the place must fill up quickly and they would need the space for larger parties. It did start to get a little busier as the evening progressed. Groups of friends were meeting there after work and some people were there by themselves. It’s definitely a great place to relax in for a while.

Casellula is really charming inside. The staff was very busy and hard working, so the place has a bustling café atmosphere, but it remains very relaxing, casual, and chilled out for the customers. The décor is understated with just some simple worn-looking café tables and chairs, brick walls, big windows in the front, pretty lighting, and a little kitchen behind the bar. There is also a cheese case that made my mouth water just looking at it (ok, so I ordered some cheese too). I honestly felt like I could have stayed there for hours feasting on cheese sipping on a couple glasses of wine and would not have felt rushed to leave.

The wine list was a little confusing and it was difficult to find prices easily. I think it was because the formatting was a little strange, or maybe it was just my OCD kicking in. Anyhow, prices were about average for a wine bar in the city. Their small selection of wines by the glass were between $9 and $14 and bottles were $36 to $98. They also offer small bottles of mostly French wines starting at $29 and as expensive as $62. I ordered the 2010 Claar Cellars Chardonnay from Washington. I was given a small taste of it before they poured my full glass. If you’re a frequent reader, you know I love this type of service. The pour was also quite large! Another point for Casellula. The Chardonnay smelled very good and fresh - like stone fruits (peach, nectarine) and corn kernels. It tasted like grapefruit and had a nice acidic zing to it. It was delicious and a great summer Chardonnay!

The service was great and three different people had actually come to my table to take my order, deliver my wine, and check up on me. Everyone was really nice and friendly and helped give the bar a homey feel. I even heard one of the waitresses giving very thorough descriptions of some of the wines to a group of people at a table nearby as they were making a bottle selection.

There are few things I love more than wine and cheese and this place caters to both. It has a busy yet comfortable vibe, delicious and well priced wines, and an amazing selection of cheeses. It’s a fun place and would be great to go to either before or after dinner. I will definitely be back. If you do happen to stop in this wine bar, do yourself a favor and try the Pecorino cheese. I give Casellula a rating of 4.5 out of 5 glasses.

The homey and relaxing interior of Casellula

See the cheese case? Om nom nom nom!

The oddly formatted menu

My glass of Chardonnay

My wine and cheese!

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Reader Comments (2)

Is that black square (in the last photo) a chunk of chocolate?

June 1, 2012 | Unregistered CommenterJosephine

No, it was some kind of dense cracker thing. I didn't try it because it looked like birdseed lol

June 1, 2012 | Registered Commenterdrinkofthevine

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