Spork and Knife

As promised, I made my way back to Le Chat Noir last week and attended a wine tasting, to commemorate their new wine lounge. 

My first thoughts upon entering were, “What a great space!”  The inside is cozy, yet bright combining old French design with a modern feel.  Behind the bar is a large flat screen playing black and white movies flanked by bottles of liquor.  This is the kind of spot I’ve been looking for in this city.  A casual-sheik place to sip on a glass or two of wine. 

My friend K and I were ushered towards the window and handed a wine list.  Not recognizing any of the bottles (Such a shock to me!) we both agreed that we’d just start down the list of 6-8 wines (my memory is a bit hazy…wine tasting will do that to you!)  The tasting was free, so why not sample it all and take in the surroundings. 

After our first glass, the very eager waiter ushered over some hor’dourves.  He rattled off their names, but again the wine…I blame the wine.  Without getting specific, there was a Parmesan crostini, a salmon puff and an onion tart.  Each was tasty and a nice touch to the wine tasting. 

Overall, we tasted 4 wines each.  The waiters seemed a bit frazzled, but a couple dozen people all needing refills at once will do that to you.  There were other kinks to be worked out, such as the slightly hot temperature, but I have faith that Le Chat Noir will prevail and I will have a new neighborhood spot to relax with friends.  Normal prices run $8 a glass, but I’m willing to fork over the extra few dollars to sip in peace.