Tolani

Last night, I went to Tolani, which is located at 410 Amsterdam Ave on the Upper West Side. I had walked by it a few times on my way to other wine bars and didn’t think too much about it, aside from making a mental note to visit it at some point. Now I feel bad that I had overlooked it, because I was blown away by my experience there.

First of all, the atmosphere is just so cool. There are faux as well as original exposed brick walls, a pergola looming over some tables in the back, a massive chandelier hanging low to the ground in a decorative corner of the bar, and the bar top, as well as a big table in the front, were made of heavy raw wood. It felt very cozy, yet sophisticated and there was a lively energy to the place.

I requested a table when I walked in, but the hostess directed me to the bar because tables may have reservations or something like that. I didn't really pay attention and all I remember thinking was “Meh, I hate it when this happens”. However, during happy hour at Tolani, you get a complimentary snack if you sit at the bar, the tall leather chairs were super comfy, and the bartender Eddie was stellar, so it worked out.

Many of the wines are from South Africa and all were available both by the glass and the bottle. Glasses start at $9 and are no more than $16. Bottles are $36 to $72. As I was looking through the menu, Eddie told me that I could try any of the wines before I ordered a glass. He poured me a small amount of a Vinho Verde, which I liked, but a 2010 Boschendal Chardonnay/Pinot Noir blend caught my eye. I asked if I could try that one and Eddie exclaimed that it was a fantastic wine, poured a bit for me and we chatted about wine for a while. He was very enthusiastic and really knew what he was talking about. You could tell he had a passion for wine and wanted to share it, which I love to see. The wine was fantastic indeed, so I ordered a glass of it. As he poured it, he told me that there were many other wines that he wanted me to try after that glass. Free wine? I’ll take it! The service was so top notch that I couldn’t help but wonder if they knew what I was there for. But apparently, Eddie is always this amazing, according to my bar neighbor, who is a regular at Tolani.

Back to the wine! It’s very rare to see a “white” Pinot Noir, so I knew I had to order the Chardonnay/Pinot Noir blend, if not only for it being delicious. Although it’s a red grape, it is possible to use Pinot Noir in a white wine. Fermenting a red grape with its skins gives the wine its color, body, and tannins. So in this case, the grapes were not fermented with their skins, so it had the body and some flavors of a white wine and the slightest hint of a copper hue. It smelled like stone fruits, particularly apricot, and it was a little floral on the nose as well. It tasted so perfect, like a refreshing zing of guava and pineapple with a great acidity. I could have continued drinking this all night. So I did.

I was in good company with my friend Ashley, so as the night wore on, we ordered more glasses, a cheese plate, and the samples of wine kept coming. It was then that I realized this is my favorite wine bar in the city so far. Maybe it was just Eddie that made Tolani so memorable, but with such well selected wines and potential service like that, this place is amazing. From start to finish, it was what every wine bar experience should be like. All other wine bars, take note. If When you do go to Tolani, do yourself a favor and sit at the bar :) I give Tolani my first ever rating of 5 out of 5 glasses. Cheers!

Doesn't it look so heavenly?

My lovely glass of Chardonnay-Pinot Noir

The little decorative corner <3 Tolani

Pil Pil

I went to Pil Pil on Friday, which is located at 265 E 78^th St. I’ve walked by it several times and it always looked like it had a fun interior. Plus, the name is kind of cute. While writing this, I googled what “pil pil” means and it actually has nothing to do with wine or even tapas. It’s a type of spicy fish sauce…definitely random.

Anyway, the interior is indeed fun and visually interesting. Vines are entwined in the ceiling, which appears to be made to look like a pergola. The brick walls have little alcoves cut into them that have seen many, many candles melt within them. It creates a cool, almost gothic effect. The stand out part of the décor, however, is an array of bottles with brightly colored lights behind them that serves as the backdrop to the beautiful marble top bar.

Pil Pil is a Spanish wine bar, which I was pleased to see when I arrived because I adore wines from this country. There is a good selection of both red and white wines and the menu shows the grape variety for each wine, as most Spanish wines are named after the region and can be a little confusing. Glasses of wine are actually sold as a “mini carafe” which is 8 oz of wine. The average pour for a glass is around 6 oz, so this is a good value as it wasn’t priced any higher than most wine bars that I’ve been to. The mini carafes started at $11 and were priced up to $17 and bottles were $38 to $69. They also have some happy hour specials on beer and sangria. However, on Sundays and Mondays, all bottles of wine are half off! Since their bottles aren’t overpriced, this is a great deal.

I selected a mid-range priced wine and ordered the 2007 Valserrano Crianza Rioja. I may have mentioned this in previous reviews involving Spanish wine, but it’s worth repeating: Spain has labeling requirements in regards to how long a wine must be aged before release. Crianza is the term used for the minimum time: 2 years of ageing with at least 6 months spent in oak barrels; Reserva is aged for 3 years with 1 year in oak; Gran Reserva is aged 5 years with at least 18 months spent in oak.

This Rioja smelled of sweet dried strawberries and was very aromatic. It tasted very similar on the palate, plus a little hint of plum. The tannins were a little harsh, but it was enjoyable. It would have been really, really good with the lamb sliders they serve here, which are topped with Manchego cheese….yum. It seriously took every effort to save my appetite for dinner and not order them.

Pil Pil has a really nice, pleasant atmosphere. The service was quick and polite and the place was busy, but just enough to create a background buzz of conversation. It was filled with groups of girlfriends catching up, as well as a couple of dates. It started to get busier after 7, so get here a little early to grab a table if you plan on hanging out for a while.

It took me a while to see this, but I eventually noticed that there’s a super creepy skeleton hanging from the wall, shrouded in some brown cloth. Forgotten Halloween decoration? The bar’s founder? The world may never know. It’s also clutching a champagne glass in one of its boney hands. In the timeless words of Sawyer from Lost, “Cheers, Skeletor!”

Pil Pil is a trendy, yet casual place and boasts a very cool setting. I really don’t have anything negative to say about this bar. It’s one of the better Spanish wine bars I’ve been to, if not the best so far. Stop by to have a glass and discover why I love Spanish wine so much :) And please, order those lamb sliders for me! I give Pil Pil a rating of 4.2 out of 5 glasses.

The vines that cover the ceiling of the bar

My mini carafe of Rioja

The cool bottle display behind the bar

There was a rack of wine bottles at the end of each row of tables

look closely...it's Skeletor!