Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Restaurants / Wine The Terroir, the Terroir: Who Wants Local Food With Foreign Wines?
Posted by Carrington Fox on Tue, Jan 5, 2010 at 10:34 AM
I recently reviewed The Wine Loft in the Gulch, where the Louisiana-based chain offers some 250 kinds of wine by the bottle and glass, along with a terse menu of small plates, such as shrimp pastries, sliders, a charcuterie platter and baked brie. While there were vintages from around the world, there was little "terroir," so to speak, in the ambiance or food. Virtually nothing about the experience expressed that we were in Nashville.
Of course, we were there as food critics, not wine aficionados. But for you oenophiles who have tried The Wine Loft, do you care about having a menu of locally influenced cuisine, or are you just happy to find your favorite New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc?
For that matter, if your primary focus is wine, with food coming in a close second, where do you go for the best food-and-wine combo?
Comments (4)
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Wine Chap and I have not made it to the Wine Loft yet and look forward to giving it a try soon. I am sure that being a chain makes using local ingredients a little more challenging.
We tend to head for F Scotts and City House for the most interesting wine lists with the best pairings of local ingredients and menu offerings that change often.
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I was there a couple of times right after opening. The cheese plate was nice, but they didn't have their full menu of light plates yet.
Frankly, I could care less if there is local ambiance or food. There's lots of restaurants doing that right now -- when I'm in the mood for that I'll head to Tayst or City House.
Criallos in Cool Springs has some great deals on wines and small plates. The wine list is on the small side compared to The Wine Loft.
The Wine Loft has no allure to me whatsoever. The first time I walked in I remember thinking that I felt like I was in a hotel lobby. Totally generic. I've been a couple of times since because friends planned get-togethers there, but honestly, it's going to take a really extra special party to get me there again.
I much prefer local joints with some personality. There are plenty of places in town to get the best of both wine and food- the above mentioned F Scotts, as well Flyte, Rumours, or Tayst.
