I am not one for doing a lot of restaurant reviews since I am not sure how many Philly folk actually read my blog. So how much interest is there going to be for my two loyal readers in Kazakhstan concerning what I think about a tiny restaurant in a small corner of Philly? Besides, we usually stick close to our neighborhood where there are several good choices for dining out.

Back in November, I wrote a piece about a flash wine tasting on my block, with wines from the Protocol Wine Studio’s wine club called Le Metro.

While I certainly liked both of these whites, I have to take a brief time-out here to stress that I have yet to find an Italian white wine that I can go a bit Gaga over (yeah, I would even consider wearing a meat suit if I found such a wine). Truth be told, there was one wine that I really liked (the Jermann “Were Dreams” Chardonnay)—but only one….

That comment attracted a bit of attention, particularly from a Wine Bar here in Philly that I had been meaning to go to for some time now, the Jet Wine Bar on South Street between 15th and 16th:

Perhaps needless to say, I was intrigued by an Italian white that would cause me to  consider donning a meat suit. Having a couple of kids and a wife did not lend itself easily to go out to a Wine Bar to kick back a few glasses of wine, but the seed had certainly been planted and I bode my time, waiting for the right moment.

Well, that moment came a few weeks ago when my wife’s cousin came to town for a few nights right after her parents had been here for a few weeks. I decided it was time to get out of the house and try something new. Surprisingly, there was nary an objection, and after a couple of tweets to Jill Weber, one of the owners of the bar, we were off to South Street, all five of us.

My wife’s cousin, who was in town for a convention, met us there, but was confused when Jill asked him if he were the drunken cyclist (my cousin-in-law is evidently not a big reader of this here blog). We showed up shortly thereafter, and as I was parking the car, my wife cleared up the case of mistaken identity.

When I walked into the place, I was reminded of the Bubble Lounge in San Francisco, which played a somewhat significant role in the early days of my relationship with my wife (perhaps a topic for another time–a time in which my wife can no longer read nor inflict pain). It was not so much the decor, nor anything about the space, but more of a “vibe” (yes, I just used the word “vibe”).

This was a place for cool, “hip” people–something I have not been for quite some time (if ever). Jill seemed very happy to see us and we were escorted down the stairs, where there were several tables set up for those peeps (trying to channel some inner “hip-ness”–how am I doing?) who want more than just a glass of wine and a snack.

We sat down, and as my wife and her cousin examined the food menu, I of course started with the wine list. I had already made a study of it online and was happy to see that it was exactly the same as the online version.

(While I was certainly happy to see that Jet had done it, could someone please explain to me how or why restaurants do not keep their menus up-to-date online? This should be the norm, not the exception!)

The wine list was very interesting, with wines from all over the world, with only a handful from France–clearly I was going to have to step out of my comfort zone a bit. I opted for the Argiolas S’elegas that Jill had suggested a few months prior. My wife asked me to get her “something sparkling” (no need to ask why I married her) and I chose the Rosé Franciacorta (an Italian sparkler that many compare to champagne). Her cousin stuck with water (insert your own comment here).

Castaldi Franciacorta Brut Rosé: A solid sparkler with a nutty after finish but honestly the mid palate does not measure up to a champagne. Small sample, I know. Good to Very Good. 86-88 Points.

Argiolas S’elegas: 100% Nuragus. Melon and Chamomile nose. A round and fat and bit nutty on the palate. Needs a shot of acidity. Good, on the verge of Very Good. 85-87 Points.

We then ordered food–my wife got a bowl of chilli and I chose a beet salad and a Merquez sausage dish (I wrote “merquez” instead of “merguez” since that is the way that the waitress referred to it) and both of the boys really wanted mussels. The food was fabulous (although my wife said that the chilli was a little too spicy) and paired rather well with our next wine choices: I was very excited to see a Galer Rosé (from a local producer that I visited  a while ago) and a Serbian Portuguiser (I used to claim that I was of Serbian heritage, but have since decided that I am more Croatian than Serbian–again, a post for another time).

Galer Cabernet Franc Rosé: Great Provençal style with impressive acidity. Best PA producer that I have tried. Very Good. 87-89 Points.

Agrina Portuguiser Serbia: Was also exited to see a wine from Serbia. A little too much sulfur and a bit of volatile acidity. But I guess it was fun. Average to Good. 83-85 Points.

In the end, I was very pleased with our trip to the Jet Wine Bar–I thought the food was fabulous and the wine list was fun and eclectic, causing me to step out of my comfort zone a bit. I will certainly be back (but after I brush up on “How to Appear Hip When You Really Aren’t”).