We'd been wanting to try out The Wine Loft for months now. Seriously. Their sign on their store front in the West Broad Village had been lit up for quite awhile. We'd actually driven over there a few times because it looked like lights were on, only to find out they had not opened yet.
Well, we joined Twitter, and that changed everything since The Wine Loft is on there as well. We discovered they were now open and what specials, etc. they had running throughout the week.
So, on Thursday night we decided to kick off the weekend there. First off, though we did not partake, there is free valet parking (that's always a nice perk). The interior is very dimly lit - very sexy. There are two floors (sort of). The downstairs is the bar/lounge that consists of a bar, and 8 or 10 initmate little seating areas. The walls are chocolate brown and their are long cloth panels between some of the seating areas for extra privacy. The upstairs - really a loft or mezzanine, is the dining area. Needless to say, we loved the decor and the atmosphere - not like anything else we have out in the Short Pump area.
When we got there a little after six and there were only a few people there - however this quickly changed as the place became packed. Something we noticed that this place was COUGARTOWN. Okay, maybe not cougartown, but I'd say the majority of patrons in there were single middle aged women. Hubby might have been one of three men in there the whole time we were there, which was almost three hours.
We went back and forth about whether to sit at that bar or a love seat, and decided to sit and the end of the bar.
The menu is basically a whole host of small plates, with a variety of items to satisfy any taste. We started off with the wild mushroom bruschetta. This was very savory with a slight hint of sweetness. The mushrooms were very flavorful, though by the time this made it us, the bruschetta were room temperature at best.
Next, we had the lamb lollipops - we ordered these after seeing a lady at the bar be served these. They were a great portion size and came in very complimentary balsamic glaze. I personally thought they were a little fatty - though the two lollipops I had were definitely more fatty and smaller in size than the ones Hubby had. They were served to us medium - medium/well, which we were kind of disappointed about, but then again we never requested them to be served medium rare, but also worth mentioning is that we were never asked what temperature we would like them cooked.
After the lamb, we moved onto the white truffle orechiette. This was by far our least favorite thing we ordered. The sauce was thin, almost watery. We tasted absolutely no truffle - anywhere. Really, none. We ate a few bites from this and let the bartender take it away (surprisingly, no question of how that was).
I was beyond stuffed, but Hubby really wanted to try the shrimp and blue cheese in puff pastry. I enjoyed this, but felt that it was something I could easily make at home. Hubby liked the blue cheese and the way the puff pastry was cooked, however he did not think there was very much shrimp - though the shrimp he got were cooked well.
Overall, the food was decent. The atmosphere was wonderful though and they have a great wine list. Our bartender was very helpful in helping us choose wines. The majority of wines by the glass range from $6 - $25. A few go up to over $50 (Napa wines).
We would definitely return, understanding that the slight issues with the food are probably growing pains of having been open for only a couple of weeks. We really had a great time there - it's a great place for couples and groups alike.
Well, we joined Twitter, and that changed everything since The Wine Loft is on there as well. We discovered they were now open and what specials, etc. they had running throughout the week.
So, on Thursday night we decided to kick off the weekend there. First off, though we did not partake, there is free valet parking (that's always a nice perk). The interior is very dimly lit - very sexy. There are two floors (sort of). The downstairs is the bar/lounge that consists of a bar, and 8 or 10 initmate little seating areas. The walls are chocolate brown and their are long cloth panels between some of the seating areas for extra privacy. The upstairs - really a loft or mezzanine, is the dining area. Needless to say, we loved the decor and the atmosphere - not like anything else we have out in the Short Pump area.
When we got there a little after six and there were only a few people there - however this quickly changed as the place became packed. Something we noticed that this place was COUGARTOWN. Okay, maybe not cougartown, but I'd say the majority of patrons in there were single middle aged women. Hubby might have been one of three men in there the whole time we were there, which was almost three hours.
We went back and forth about whether to sit at that bar or a love seat, and decided to sit and the end of the bar.
Next, we had the lamb lollipops - we ordered these after seeing a lady at the bar be served these. They were a great portion size and came in very complimentary balsamic glaze. I personally thought they were a little fatty - though the two lollipops I had were definitely more fatty and smaller in size than the ones Hubby had. They were served to us medium - medium/well, which we were kind of disappointed about, but then again we never requested them to be served medium rare, but also worth mentioning is that we were never asked what temperature we would like them cooked.
After the lamb, we moved onto the white truffle orechiette. This was by far our least favorite thing we ordered. The sauce was thin, almost watery. We tasted absolutely no truffle - anywhere. Really, none. We ate a few bites from this and let the bartender take it away (surprisingly, no question of how that was).
I was beyond stuffed, but Hubby really wanted to try the shrimp and blue cheese in puff pastry. I enjoyed this, but felt that it was something I could easily make at home. Hubby liked the blue cheese and the way the puff pastry was cooked, however he did not think there was very much shrimp - though the shrimp he got were cooked well.
Overall, the food was decent. The atmosphere was wonderful though and they have a great wine list. Our bartender was very helpful in helping us choose wines. The majority of wines by the glass range from $6 - $25. A few go up to over $50 (Napa wines).
We would definitely return, understanding that the slight issues with the food are probably growing pains of having been open for only a couple of weeks. We really had a great time there - it's a great place for couples and groups alike.
Lamb Lollipops
White Truffle Orechiette
Shrimp & Blue Cheese in Puff Pastry
Thanks for the review. My wife and I have been waiting to try The Wine Loft out since they prematurely put their sign up months and months ago. It sounds like a good place--smarter than Mezzanine with their small plates, wine selection, and prices.
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