Grape and Grain-

Grape and Grain (http://www.grapeandgrain.net/) is cozy laid back wine and tapas bar tucked into the east village on 6th street between Avenue B and C. This dark dimly lit restaurant gives off very relaxing vibe, with brick walls and dim lighting provided by old fashion chandeliers, you can’t help but pop in, at least for a drink. Inside of our table was a drawer filled with secret notes and poems from past diners. Have a great time reading this hilarious hidden messages, especially the one about the Jewish transvestite going to McDonalds (really funny and includes a picture). Don’t forget to add your own message to the drawer before you leave.

Grape and Grain offers a nice and reasonably priced wine selection, so pop open a bottle or have a glass before deciding which delicious item on the menu to try. The presentation of the dishes was beautiful. We started with the tuna Carpaccio which was sliced into very thick pieces of tuna, and accompanied by a jalapeño infused citrus vinaigrette and pickled avocados, a very bold dish. The meatballs did not disappoint, they were cooked perfectly and the roasted chicken salad was filled with flavor. Known for the pizza’s, we tried the margarita and Portobello. They were both wonderful , and made on a delicious foccacia bread. We capped off our meal with the apple dessert. It consisted of a warm apple tart with apple sauce covering the top (that was a little weird, could have left off the apple sauce- was never a fan of adding it to things), but the cinnamon ice cream truly made up for the extra sauce. A wonderful way to kick off the week, would recommend this place for a group of friends or for a cute date night.

Vintage Irving

Vintage Irving (http://www.vintageirvingny.com/) is definitely one of my favorite wine spots in the city. It’s the perfect place for a fun relaxing night out, a tasting or even a private party! There is a private room in the back that can be reserved for private events or you can attend one of the many weekly “tastings”. We went to the “Fall Seasonal Pumpkin Tasting” and it was incredible- there were six different dishes made with pumpkin (hence the theme of the tasting event) and paired accordingly with the appropriate beer, wine, cider and martini! The tastings are different each month, definitely worth going to one! They are having 20 wines for $20 going on this month.
Besides the private events and tasting, Vintage Irving has a very comfortable fun atmosphere, dimly lit (good date spot) and not too pricey! The food and service are both fantastic! Our waiter was very attentive, offered helpful suggestions and even got us a few items and drinks to taste! There is a small collection of cheeses, a nice salad variety and delicious selection of small plates. The truffle chicken mini meatballs and the eclectic bruschettas are "must try" small plates! And who could forget about dessert?! The individual chocolate soufflé is to die for- death by chocolate in a great way! This place is perfect for girls night out!

Wined-Up

After you climb the stairs to the second floor you arrive at Wined Up(http://www.punchrestaurant.com/) A spacious, modern styled wine bar almost hidden in Flatiron. With floor to ceiling windows it feels very airy; it was cold when we went so there was a bit of a draft. One of the walls is lined with wine bottles that customers are allowed to select and bring to their tables (Very large selection of wines to choose from!).Our waiter was very knowledgeable about all of the different wines and cheeses. So we went with the cheese plate- it was fantastic! The cheeses he had recommended were delicious and it came with different breads/fruits/snacks. I love when places don’t “skimp out” on the goodies to accompany the cheese- Wined-Up did a great job! We also enjoyed the chicken paillard and the chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich. Definitely a good place for girl’s night out, it has a nice atmosphere and wonderful selection of food and wine. There were a number of couples there as well, so I will state the obvious- it’s a great “date spot”