The Wild Grape : New West Bistro

481 E South Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84101Phone: (801)746-5565
Hours
Lunch: Mon-Fri 11am-3pm

Brunch: Sat-Sun 9am-3pm

Dinner: Mon-Sun 5pm-10pm

Late: Mon-Sat 9:30pm-Midnight

It wasn't too long ago, that while driving down ye ole South Temple, a single tear escaped from my eye as I realized that the Avenues Bakery was no more. Luckily, the space was scooped up and The Wild Grape was born. As you can imagine, in my eyes, they had some pretty big shoes to fill but happily we were not let down.

What We Loved:

The Location: Downtown is not dead yet. (Although the huge amounts of construction and unsightly cranes are trying to kill it)

The Concept: The Wild Grape is a fully organic, local supporting establishment. (chowhounds step up on soap box) People of Salt Lake City! Lend me your ears! We have GOT to support local businesses. The only way to have more amazing eats and treats is to buy local and live local. I know we all love a good romp at the Olive Garden now and again, but come on. Live dangerously and try something new on the local front.

The Staff: Thanks Jason. Our dedicated and fun server. Look for him behind the bar, or at your table, but just look for him. He knows his stuff in a totally non-smarty pants kind of way. (meaning he won't make you feel dumb while he's pumping you full of fun food and wine facts.) The entire staff at this joint will make you feel at home. We got welcomes and hellos from a hostess, our server, the sous chef and the owner. You can tell they are really trying to do service right.

The Mouth Amuser: It just doesn’t sound as sexy in English does it. A quick way to the heart of a foodie is to serve a killer Amuse Bouche (wikipedia if your not familiar). Duck prosciutto and apple perched on a bit of profiterol (fancy for fried dough... who doesn’t love fried dough!) with a little cherry reduction to balance it all out. One bite to get you excited for what's to come... and trust us, one bite is all you could handle.

The Food: Ok... down to the nitty gritty. The food is delicious. You can taste the freshness and care that is put into each dish. We tried to sample a variety of things so here is a mild rundown

#1 Venison: Seared to the perfect balance of tenderness without looking like a crime scene and paired with a killer Cabernet reduction sauce that complimented the dish without taking over. The butternut squash gnocchi, dare I say it, almost (and that’s a big almost) out shined sweet little Bambi.

#2 The Risotto : We are of the belief, that if you put risotto on your menu, it better be pretty good. Luckily, The Wild Grape does not disappoint.

#3 The Scallops : What... I'm sorry I couldn't hear you over my taste buds singing with joy. Scallops in Utah is kind of like saying icicles in Phoenix, but they figured out how to get them here and how to get them cooked PERFECTLY! Throw in some roasted fingerling potatoes and you got yourself a meal.

The Desserts : Chocolate and Hazelnut Dome of Goodness and Pineapple Meringue Tart of Happy Taste Buds. We renamed them appropriately to really give you an idea of how stellar they were. Mmmmhmm.

The Adult Beverage Selection : I went in with high expectations on this front. When you name a restaurant The Wild Grape, you better have some damn good fermented ones on your menu. And they did! The wine list was created with a great clientele in mind... a clientele that loves wine but doesn’t have a degree in Oenology. There is a price point for almost anyone regardless if your looking for by the glass or by the gallon. High praise on the wide variety to be found by the glass and the fact that the server seemed to have an understanding of the entire menu... not just a few favorites. Stemware was par... a nice Cabernet glass with a cut rim. Only downside, everything was served in that glass. Our first bottle was a fairly delicate and sweet white which can turn rather sugary when served in such a caverness piece of crystal.The first bottle was the Zenato Pinot Grigio... as Pinot Grigio goes, it’s good enough. It wouldn’t honestly have been my first choice, but the ladies loved it. The server gets a high five for giving us multiple choices followed by tastes of the different choices... unfortunately for me, I got over ruled (I wanted the Matua Sauvignon Blanc). For the second bottle, we gave our server the ultimate challenge... Surprise us! Even the most experienced Sommeliers would sweat this challenge and yet our humble server accepted with aplomb... impressive! Especially since we had scallops, risotto, and venison coming and we wanted red for our main course (ouch). What did our talented attendant choose? Seghesio Sangiovese... top-notch pairing. It missed the target with only the scallops. The venison with it’s sweet cabernet reduction brightened right up with a taste of the ripe cherry from the Sangiovese and there was a enough of a nuttiness in the glass to support the richness of the risotto. Another high five goes out for not choosing the highest price wine on the menu just because the door was open to bump up the total on the ticket.My only grievance with the Wild Grape’s list is that it was a bit California heavy, but I think that it might be part of their support of buying “local” so I will go with the flow... hehe, with the flow! that one was unintended.(as Andrew Says.)

What We Only Liked:

Butternut Squash Soup w/ Brandy and Cinnamon Crème Fraiche: Just as decadent as it sounds and maybe a bit to a fault. The first couple slurps are pure heaven, but the sweetness just gets to be too much. Either lay back on the sugars or add a touch of something to ground the dish. Even just a bit of crostini to nibble on as you drink it down would help. Try it for sure... just split it between your table so each person only gets a few gulps.

Crab Cakes :Good, not great. They were a bit on the dry side for the minimal quantity of sauce drizzled onto the plate. Good flavors, just needed some moisture.

Pan Seared Calamari: Cooking tentacles is a tough job for many chefs (yes, the pun was intended). Not this time. The light snap followed by pure softness was the ideal texture for these little guys... that alone kept us going back for more. The turn off was a slight “oceanesque” flavor that lingered after you swallowed. Initially we were thinking they must have been tossed with a light fish stock, but when we asked the chef, no fish stock was used. Lets just say that it was the only dish that wasn’t completely obliterated within moments of reaching our table.

Atmosphere/Décor: Lets make this clear and concise, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the atmosphere and décor. BUT... it just could have been more inspiring. Very cozy with a nice balance of upscale and casual elements and it does work very well with the organic focus from the food. It wouldn’t take much, but it needs some type of crowning element that says “the food and service here are going to blow your mind”.

What We Didn't Like As Much

Bathrooms: It feels like you are stepping into a completely different restaurant! We’re pretty sure the décor is leftover from the last restaurant and it just doesn’t flow. Yep, it’s nit picky, but that’s how we roll. They are clean and tidy though... whew!

THE WILD GRAPE AT A GLANCE:

Food: Most Impressive. Try a variety on the menu they do a lot of things well

Service: Excellent.

Price: Average for a "nicer" eatery. Splurge on Wine. You won't be let down

Bathrooms: Clean, but just don't quite fit.

(Who Dined? Andrew, Michelle and Melanie)