Drink of the Vine

Entries in Lower East Side (5)

Saturday
Feb022013

Sorella

After a very busy week, I actually have time to write my latest review! Last week, I went to Sorella, located at 95 Allen St in the Lower East Side. The front of the building is covered in a permanent heavy wooden grating, which looks like a metal gate that is pulled in front of a closed store. At first glance you wouldn’t know that it’s open, let alone a chic wine bar if it wasn’t for the subtle logo above. Semi-secretive. I like it.

Once inside, it’s cozy and minimalistic. The floors creak with each step of the bartenders, the brick wall behind the bar is painted white, the wooden ceiling is barreled and accented with little Edison lights and some larger unique light fixtures, and the bar top is made of a smooth wood. It feels like you’re in a chic cellar. There is also a charming room in the back of the bar that looks like a great place for a private party.

After reviewing the menu, I realized that Sorella is an Italian wine bar and offered some not so typical wines. Glasses were $8 to $18 and although bottles were not on the menu, my friend and I were able to later order a bottle of one of the by the glass wines, so there must be a separate menu that lists the bottles.

I ordered the 2011 Lo Triolet Gamay. Normally I’m not a big fan of this varietal, but I’ve been to so many Italian wine bars lately that I wanted to try something different. The Gamay that I usually encounter is often too tannic and jammy. This one, however, was quite the opposite. It smelled like summer, which is the first word that popped into my head. It had notes of berries, plum, and nutmeg and tasted like raspberry and date with a zingy acidity. It was tasty enough that I couldn’t possibly refuse a second glass of it. I should also mention that it pairs nicely with their cheese plate.

The bartenders at Sorella were really friendly and seemed to know everyone that walked into the bar. I think some of them were former employees, which says a lot about the place. Surprisingly, it didn’t fill up very quickly even on a Thursday evening. The “Sorry, we’re closed” façade might have something to do with that. The atmosphere is warm and inviting and they have a unique selection of Italian wines at decent prices. It’s a great wine bar to duck into, especially after walking several blocks in the frigid wind of a New York City winter. I give Sorella a rating of 3.9 out of 5 glasses.

There's a wine bar behind there, I promise!

My glass of Gamay and some tasty breadsticks

Monday
Sep242012

Jadis

I swung by Jadis on Friday, which is located at 42 Rivington St on the Lower East Side. It s one step below the sidewalk, so it feels a little bit like a basement. A very cute basement.

The atmosphere was quiet for a Friday evening, which I wasn t expecting. There was some soft, mellow music playing, which later evolved into French hip hop. All of the walls are brick, the floor is concrete, there is a heavy wooden door at the entrance, and the ceilings look like they just might be original. Apparently there is an outdoor seating area in the back, which I could only catch a glimpse of from my table. From what I could see, it looked cool and I heard several girls asking if they could sit out there when they walked in. The bar area was cutely decorated with some dried flower arrangements and all of the plates and glasses were stored on shelves behind the bar, so it looked like a homey kitchen.

Jadis has a French wine bar feel to it, but wines from all over the world were featured on their wine list. Wines are $7 to $12 by the glass with bottles starting at $25 and no more than $110. They also offer a carafe of wine, which is priced between $18 and $29. The bar has a very clean pricing strategy. They have great specials as well: happy hour is Tuesday - Saturday from 5-7pm, and on Mondays bottles of wine over $30 are 30% off.

I ordered the 2011 Domaine Chene Macon La Roche from the Burgundy region of France. It had a slight barley scent to it, almost like beer but a touch sweeter. It was a little toasty on the nose as well. It tasted very much like lychee with a thin sweetness to it and a nice bitter note. It was an interesting wine, but good. Shortly after I ordered my wine, I noticed that there was a $15 minimum on credit cards, which always annoys me. But I was happy to order a cheese plate to make up the difference.

The service was what made Jadis feel different for me. Although she was friendly each time she came to my table, the noticeable overtone of the waitress' attitude was that she thought I was awkward and weird. Which I totally am The distasteful look she gave me while I was holding my camera in front of my face was the first clue. Ok, so I was the only one in the bar for a while and I was taking pictures like a stalker. And sure, I devoured a cheese plate meant for three, but try not to make it so obvious that you think I m an oddball. I may not understand your Spanish, but I sure can read the body language of you and the bartender both looking over at me at the same time. Try to be more subtle in the future.

I don t know why I'm giving Jadis this rating because I felt like Quasimodo while I was there, but it has a cool, yet quaint and cozy atmosphere, as well as a good selection of wines at a great price point. If you behave overtly sane you might enjoy yourself here a little more than I did. I, begrudgingly, give it a rating of 3.6 out of 5 glasses.

I felt too awkward to take a good picture of the outside once I left. And that's saying a lot.

The cute bar area

Isn't it always?