Bin No. 220

I decided to stop by Bin No. 220 tonight. It’s located at 220 Front St near the seaport, which is an area that I wouldn't normally consider a destination for after work drinks, but it was super busy!

The bar has a contemporary flare to it. It has concrete floors, an exposed brick wall, accents of red throughout the room, and a nice display of wine behind the bar. There is also a tiny area of outdoor seating at the entrance. I couldn’t make out much of the music that was playing because the chatter of the crowd was so loud, but I did happen to hear Electric Feel by MGMT and that is a win in my book. I actually do an awkward little dance to that song, but that’s not what this blog is about, right?

The menu is tucked into a brown paper bag, which kind of reminds me of a barf bag. The barf bag wine menu inserts are divided into red and white. Glasses are the average wine bar price of $9 to $14 and bottles are $40 to $400 with the average being around $55. Each of the wines has a brief description of its flavors, which is nice for making a quick decision on what you want to drink. The wine list is selected by each of the two owners, Calli and Sandy, and they pick their favorite wines for the week and have a competition to see whose picks are the most popular. It’s a fun twist to a wine menu! I ordered from Sandy’s side of the menu tonight and selected the 2008 Montepulciano La Murola. The glasses that the wines are served in are cute stemless glasses, but they are tiny, so I had trouble being able to smell the bouquet of my wine. However, it tasted wonderful. It was full bodied, had bitter notes of chocolate and had rich dark berry flavors. It was warm and smooth and was kind of comforting in a way.

While the wine menu this week appears to feature Italian wines, the menu doesn’t show the origin of the wine. Personally, I like to know the story behind my wine. When you’re trying a new wine, it’s a little like a first date. You want to know that basic questions: “Where are you from?” “What’s your hometown like?” “What’s your sign?” That sort of thing. Maybe I’m just being picky, but some people might only know that they like wines from a certain region.

Interesting detail - Bin No. 220 makes their own olive oil, which they serve with ciabatta bread and is also available for purchase. I would have loved to try it, although I didn’t notice this until I was about to leave (and it made me really hungry). I’m sure it’s amazing!

The bar has a casual, fun atmosphere, the wines are quite tasty and continuously changing for the owners’ competition, and the service is very nice and super helpful with recommendations. I’d come here again if I as going out to get drinks in the area. I give Bin No. 220 a rating of 4.2 out of 5 glasses. Thanks for making the wine list so engaging, Calli and Sandy!

The cool entrance to the bar

The menu

My cute glass of wine (and still remaining mostly anonymous)

Bar Henry

I’ve been looking forward to visiting Bar Henry since I watched an episode of Gary Vaynerchuck’s Daily Grape where he was reviewing a Cabernet Franc at the bar. Unfortunately I didn't see the Cabernet Franc on the menu when I was there, but there are so many more to choose from at this bar. The place is located on the lower level of 90 W Houston St, so it’s not easy to spot if you’re not already looking for it.

Jazz music was playing when I arrived and continued on to some more old school music. It was pretty relaxing and it felt like a throwback bar. The floors were black and white checkered marble tile, the classic tin ceiling was present, there were brass chandeliers and even a piano if you’re feeling drunk bold enough to perform a number.

Glasses of wine are priced between $10 and $18 and bottles were priced between $35 and $590, with many of the wines being available as a half bottle. The majority of the wines are from France, Italy, and some from Spain and the US along with a smattering from other known wine countries. Although the wines may seem expensive, here’s where it gets interesting; Bar Henry has some fantastic deals. First, their happy hour special is….2 for 1 glasses of wine. Best happy hour deal I’ve seen at a wine bar yet. On top of that, if anyone at the bar orders a half bottle of wine, the rest of the bottle goes up for sale by the glass. There is a large menu on the wall that shows which wines are being sold that way, so it’s easy to get your hands on some great wine that you wouldn’t otherwise order. Very, very cool.

I ordered the 1997 CH Berres Riesling Spatlese for $10. I think it was actually the oldest wine that I’ve had at a wine bar and it wasn’t absurdly priced. It was served in a huge glass which really allowed me to capture the aroma of the wine and the rest of the glass was waiting for me in a mini decanter! So cute! I thought that the wine in the decanter was my second glass, but it was only one serving. The pours here are basically the amount that I pour for myself at home. Amazing. This Riesling tasted a little tangy and it was perfectly sweet with a nice acidity. It tasted briefly of pineapple and apricot and smelled beautiful – like tropical fruits and a little minerally.

Honestly, the only downside of this place is that since it is on the lower level of the building, I wasn’t getting reception on my cell phone. Major downer if you’re meeting people there and need to text directions and any other details. Maybe it was just my phone, but perhaps the bar could get an antenna or something set up…Verizon? AT&T? Anybody want to volunteer?

Friendly bar, great old school atmosphere, excellent wine selection, and you get the opportunity to try some really great quality wines. I give Bar Henry a rating of 4.5 out of 5 glasses.

Oh there you are, Bar Henry!

My huge glass and the mini decanter

The piano tucked away in a corner of the bar