Best Wine Bar in the Country Is Right Here in Seattle
Food’s pretty good, too.
Posted by: Kathryn Robinson on May 04, 2010 at 01:30PM
5 Comments
So harmonic convergence time: The Local Vine has picked up top honors from Luxist readers as Best Wine Bar in the USA.
And the lauded wine bar’s high-rise apartment building landed on the front page of The Seattle Times today. Riddled with defects, the whole building will be razed next month. Which makes TLV one of the many tenants forced to move. (This, after being wrapped in scaffolding for months. Sheesh.) This it will do, by fall, to a spot (formerly held by the now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t joint Pizza Fusion, which lasted four months) in the Pike-Pine Triangle of Capitol Hill.
Here’s some of what Luxist said about TLV: “Founded in 2007 by Harvard Business School graduates Allison Nelson and Sarah Munson, The Local Vine boasts both an air of sleek sophistication and a refreshing accessibility. Free wireless internet, down-to-earth advice on wine, and a casual atmosphere complete with a fully functional fireplace make it more like a coffee house than a strict wine bar.”
It goes on to discuss TLV’s auspicious bottle selection, its monthly wine clubs, its shipping program, even its heavy wooden doors. But no mention of its food! So I guess we’ll have to tell you: Duck fat frites. White truffled popcorn. French cut lamb lollipops. Fried goat cheese. Plenty of charcuterie. Higher ambitions than you might expect from a wine bar—without a whiff of pretension.
In short: the food at TLV has always been better than it had to be, with fresh and local and very intentional preparations thoughtfully conceived to go with the wine. And created by none other than chef Jason Wilson of Crush, who, in the final harmonic convergence of the day, also finds himself in the news this morning.
The young buck picked up a James Beard Award for best chef in the Northwest.
The last portion of this article is incorrect. The head chef at TLV is Jon Maley and he is brilliant. It’s a disgrace that that Kathryn Wilson didn’t take a moment to actually find out who is responsible for the outstanding food at TLV. Maybe Jason Wilson started it, but Jon has been at the helm designing their seasonal menus for some time now. Give credit where credit is due!
Seriously, kudos to Jason and Crush for top honors at the Beard awards. But WTF! He hasn’t set foot in TLV in YEARS.
However, Chef Jon Maley and his tiny crew have been kicking ass in the TLV’s closet sized kitchen, creating thoughtful and flavorful small bites for quite a while. Keep it up Chef!
I can’t wait for the new space on Capitol Hill!
Don’t know who Kathryn Wilson is, but Seattle Met critic (and TLV fan) Kathryn Robinson should indeed have been clearer. Jason Wilson created TLV’s original menu but does not in fact steward the admirable food program on a day-to-day basis. Mea culpa, fans.
Apologies, Kathryn. I have a great friend, Kathryn Wilson, and must have had her on the brain. Jason Wilson is brilliant and I’ve made my fair share of visits to Crush, but it’s great to have Jon Maley acknowledged for the talent and hard work he puts in at TLV every day!
I would just like to thank everyone who voted us the best in the country. And I would also like to thank the peolpe who know what good food is and where to get it, whatever the Chefs name is. And for Kathryn, I would also love for you to try some of the delicious creations we are cooking at The Local Vine. It is an honor to cook for you all.