How to go
What: The Wine Loft
Where: 21 Greene Blvd. at The Greene, Beavercreek
When: 4 p.m. to close every day
Dishes to try: Kobe Beef Pistolettes ($12), Baked Brie en Croute ($12), White Truffle Orechiette ($10)
More info: (937) 429-4424, www.thewineloftdaytonohio.com
BEAVERCREEK — The Wine Loft added a new destination to The Greene’s entertainment landscape in late 2009, and its atmosphere, small-plates food menu and 70 wines offered by the glass make it well worth checking out, even if wine isn’t your drink of choice.
Once inside, you won’t think you’re in Dayton anymore. The sheer curtains, couch-style seating, low lighting and thumping techno music (at times, anyway) evoke a distinctly upscale, big-city feel.
There have been encouraging signs that owners and management spotted early shortcomings and took steps to correct them. The Wine Loft opened with an anemic beer selection that has since been augmented with some premium selections, and it has also added a much-needed martini list (albeit with overly precious names such as “The Cougar,” “Lolita” and “Mint Fetish”) to take fuller advantage of its premium spirits.
The food menu has several bright spots.
The “Pistolettes” — the dish was called “Filet Pistolettes” and cost $10 during my visits, but has since been changed to “Kobe Beef Pistolettes” and now costs $12 — are sliders by a fancy name, and they’re a fine version, with Maytag blue cheese butter and sweet onion jam working a bit of magic on three well-made mini-burgers.
White Truffle Orechiette ($10) — think mac ’n’ cheese, but really good mac ’n’ cheese — blends multiple cheeses, including brie, with the elbow-shaped pasta, topped with a Parmigiano Reggiano Crisp. And yes, the aromas do indeed suggest truffles.
The similarly decadent Baked Brie en Croute ($12) is served with vanilla-infused honey, spiced pecans and Balsamic reduction — easily shareable and a good choice.
On an initial visit, the wine bar’s Wild Mushroom Bruschetta ($11) was excellent — a rich and creamy blend of mushrooms served atop toasted bread accented with aged Manchego cheese.
On a second visit, the dish was less impressive — the mushrooms and sauce tasted of prepackaged mix. And an Antipasto For 2 ($23) — consisting of small samples of meats, cheeses, marinated veggies, olives and capers — was by no means generous enough to warrant its price tag.
Desserts are all priced at $7. The Lava Cake and Crème Caramel are well-made, straightforward renditions.
Wine novices and geeks can find something of interest from the by-the-glass list, and if not, other wines are available by the bottle.
“Premium Glass Selections” range in price from $13 to $17 and include restaurant luxury brands such as Jordan and Sonoma-Cutrer, but look to the “regular” offerings for better value. Standouts include a Hangtime Pinot Noir ($9), J. Lohr Cabernet Sauvignon ($9), St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc ($9) and Sokol Blosser Evolution white blend ($11). Pours are adequate but not overly generous.
One quibble with the wine list: it doesn’t include vintage years. I know it would be a hassle to have to constantly update the list as vintages change, but if true wine enthusiasts are part of your target audience, it’s a hassle you must bear.
Still, with its 70 wines by the glass, the Wine Loft offers opportunities seldom found at other wine bars: three New Zealand sauvignon blancs, for example, or three German rieslings, or three West Coast pinot noirs, can be compared side-by-side, or during successive visits.
The Wine Loft at The Greene is a franchise location of a Baton Rouge, La.,-based chain of 20 wine bars around the country, and is owned by Jeff Van Horne — a 1986 graduate of Centerville High School who lives in suburban Columbus — and his wife, Jill. Their new wine bar is worth a visit.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2258 or mfisher@coxohio.com.
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