Michelle B.
Yelp
Okay to start...4 stars is due to the BYOB. 5 stars for BYOB and flavors and 3 stars if portion is accounted for (honestly with that, 3 is generous).
Fiancé and I came here on a whim, as I had been desperately seeking places to bring a superb pinot noir we had snagged, as we don't make a ton of pinot type dishes at home. Valet was to be expected, so that was okay.
Ambiance (4) - The place is definitely dark and cute, which we like. It has personality, especially for a wine bar, and is a nice place to have a date night. The chef can be a bit loud, in my opinion, so if you sit in one of the tables by the kitchen, just beware, but it didn't detract too much from the overall mood.
Service (4.5) - Our waiter did a great job. I try to reserve my 5s for unreal service, but our waiter really was attentive. He provided a lot of very good suggestions, and he checked in on us the appropriate amount of times.
Appetizers (2 in value, 4 in taste, so 3?) - Okay these portions were ALMOST insulting. Seriously? A cheese plate for $15 with three SLICES of cheese? That's a bit much, even for me. I should have looked at the reviews before ordering. The calamari was good, and the sauces were great, but $14 for that portion was also a bit much. Luckily we had the bread which was good to make up for some of it, but I would try other appetizers before ordering these just due to value.
Entrees are almost the same! Fiancé got the lamb, which really had an AMAZING flavor. We were pretty blown away. But there was literally no side that came with the $40 dish, and the amount of lamb by itself didn't seem to really warrant that without some mashed potatoes or something. The duck was a 4 with a bit more of a solid portion but suffering from the same issue of needing a side that could've been thrown in given the price.
This place was a tricky one for us. It edged the 4 because I've become a wine snob, and I hate paying 2x+ markup for a bottle. For us, despite the silly portion sizes, the $8 corking fee allowed us to enjoy a very good, but very small, meal without the crazy wine markup. We intend to come back with a good bottle in hand, but we may try some other appetizers, or may opt to start somewhere else.