http://www.enotecavin.com/
Friday night was both Mike and Brendan's birthday. To celebrate in a special way, the two birthday boys and their spouses piled into a car and drove all the way to the big city of Raleigh. I made reservations at Enoteca Vin through the www.opentable.com system, and unfortunately upon our arrival we were told there was no reservation for us despite receiving two confirmation e-mails from the reservation service.
Luckily, the restaurant wasn't packed - probably due to the rainy and cold weather - and they were able to accomodate us anyway. We were seated and promptly greeted by our server. The great thing about this place is how you get to order wine. You can order a 1.5oz, 3 oz or 5 oz serving of wine. Many of the 1.5 oz servings are priced as low as $1.50. You can try a few different wines and not be held to drinking a full glass, or if you just want a nip of wine with dinner, there you have it. This was quite a treat. I had two 3 oz samples of the couple zinfandels on the menu (red, not white).
The menu changes on a regular basis and is based around what's fresh at the time. We were all happy with our choices and our selections. Mary and I both started off with the butternut squash soup with creme fraiche. Fantastic. Thick and flavorful - I love soups you can actually eat with a fork. Mike chose the mussels, and I believe Brendan tried some sort of salmon. For the main course, Mike had snapper over field peas and capers, Brendan had some sort of steak, Mary had a calamari salad, and I decided to go the mini plate route. I ordered 3 mini plates - roasted radishes, pomme frites with vinegar mayo, and deviled eggs. A weird combo? Maybe, but it was wonderfully tasty! For dessert, each couple split a pecan tart with brown sugar ice cream and coffee on the side.
The ambience of the restaurant was great. Casual yet chic. Our waiter was attentive as well. We even received a "gift from the kitchen" of four figs stuffed with bleu cheese, then carmalized and drizzled in balsalmic vinegar. Excellent over french bread. I would definitely return to Enoteca Vin. We went a bit crazy with the ordering since it was a birthday celebration, so the dinner bill was a *tad* higher than we would normally pay for dinner (probably an understatement to say a *tad*). But this restaurant could really be enjoyed for a reasonable price by sharing dishes. Two thumbs up for Enoteca Vin - even worth the drive to Raleigh!
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