So in light of poor and/or uncertain decisions made on a certain Sunday night, Tyler and I ventured forth into the bold Monday sun in order to drown our sorrows in the traditional post-weekend brunch. Since I didn’t want a home style breakfast (of which there are many choices), I proposed we go to Windsor since the cocktails there were simply lovely last time we went. It was closed. Instead we sallied on over to Postino, having heard its name before, presumably in a positive context. Today were going to talk about that!
Postino WineCafe
Bill:
2 glasses of wine
1 plate of 4 assorted bruchetta
1 panini split between us
Total:~$45 after tip
Drinks
So lets start with drinks, because that’s what we started with! I had a Sauvignon Blanc called ‘Last August’ from California. I found it flavorful and crisp, though not quite as aromatic as some other Sauv. Blancs I’ve had. Very enjoyable and honestly I can’t tell you much more than that since I’m really not a wine critic. Tyler had a Malbec that was more… plumy than the last Malbec we tried, I’m pretty sure. It was also distinctly enjoyable. There were some flies chillin’ around our table, which was quaint until I had to fish one of them out of my wine with a fork. He was fine and I still drank it but I spent the rest of my meal wondering which fly was moist and buzzed. Well, they all buzzed but one of them had alcohol.
Food
The Bruchetta were a mixed board (literally!), for my tastes. The Apple, Fig and Brie was as delightful as it’s been other places I’ve ordered it. After having made this before, one of my favorite things about that particular grouping is that the apple really does have to be fresh sliced, or the color starts to change immediately. It gives it a really wonderful crispness which, when combined with the light texture and fruitiness of the Fig spread made me feel a little bit like I was in a garden. Those quaint fly-friends completed the moment.
We had a Spicy pepper sauce and Goat cheese bruchetta that really outshone all the others in my opinion. I can’t do spicy at all, so for me it was slightly on the hot side but the warmth just sat in the back of your throat for a few minutes before dissipating. What I really liked about it the most though is that ‘spicy’ wasn’t the only thing the pepper sauce had going for it. I find that entirely too often people substitute spice for flavor and as someone who doesn’t give two poops about your spiciness level, that’s always been a frustration to me. This was hands down my favorite part of the board. It doesn’t hurt that I’m kind of a huge slut for goat cheese.
Next up we have the Salmon and pesto, which seemed to be Tyler’s favorite combination. I, not being particularly enamored with salmon and vaguely distrustful of pesto sauce, found it interesting nonetheless. She particularly enjoyed the capers on top, which excited me because I was recently discussing appropriate application of capers with someone and now that I’ve seen them on salmon, I have a chance of actually remembering what they pair with instead of just being aware of their existence. I liked the texture of the pesto sauce as well; Too often I find it to be grainy and somewhat dry, though I’m sure it was assisted in its pesto-endeavors by the olive oil so copiously lathered on each of them. The salmon was mostly overwhelmed by the pesto flavor.
Last up we have the Warm Artichoke Spread, Tyler’s choice. It wasn’t too bad but it was not really exceptional either. Tyler said it needed more salt and spices. I said I didn’t really like artichokes that much and the ensuing conversation established that all those times we got spinach artichoke dip were because I love cheese so much and just put up with artichokes and spinach (Seriously, those things are all cheese). I guess we both learned something. The Artichokes featured here were very chunky, giving it a nice texture and I found myself thinking that someone who liked artichokes would probably love it.
Finally we talk about the panini: brie, fig, prosciutto and arugula. Now lets just put it on the table… I would do illegal things for prosciutto. It’s delicious. I love everything about it. I put it with all of the cheeses and I’m always happy with that choice, so this was definitely a safe choice as far as I’m concerned. The brie and arugula were somewhere between unobtrusive and balanced in this sandwich. Sometimes I felt like they weren’t bringing much to the table and sometimes I thought “Hey, yeah that is arugula there.” I know, my thought process is incredibly complex. The fig was once again light and interesting when paired with the other flavors and it really brought the most character to the sandwich, out of all the ingredients. The breads were all decently soft, even the ciabatta that the panini was served on. As someone with bad TMJ, hard breads are basically a diet changer for several days following and I hate changing my diet.
Ambiance
We found ourselves in Postino at noon on a Monday, so it’s not unreasonable for it to be suddenly full of business professionals conducting business lunches the way they do (presumably). It was slightly surprising to us, though certainly entertaining. We found ourselves speculating at the potential sex lives of the perfectly average looking business professionals seated next to us in their perfectly average business attire. Some games really never get old, I’ll tell you what. Several parties of 5-6 came in while we were sitting there so if one is dead set on having a good sized party doing lunch there, maybe come early or call ahead. The place was empty when we walked in at 11:00 and about half to 3/4 full at 12:30 when we left. The bar was completely open though so, you know… they have that going for them. Also I totally heard someone call in to make a reservation for the evening so consider that too. The service was good, though maybe not particularly enthusiastic. I think it’s probably because we’re two young ladies, in non-business casual attire taking up their space but who knows? Our servers name was Rhodes but we were also helped out by another guy in flannel. He wasn’t unattractive but he had a cut on his face that seemed pretty fresh and it made him a little hotter, not gonna lie. But either way we had a good time and I would certainly go back to try some of their other food. There were also some slick flower arrangements and they looked pretty real, though they could have been fake. Real flowers totally do it for me so my hope prevails, even in the face of that being a huge impracticality.
General Information
– 4 beers on draft -2 wines on draft -decent bottle beer (and cider) selection
-special mondays and tuesdays -$5 glass wine before 5
-$9 off bottles to go – Lighter fare food (salad/sandwich/starters)
Spirit Sirens 