By Madelyn Feldman
A charming complement to Elmwood's nightlife collection, the Wine Thief brings seasonal small plate fare with an elegant wine bar to the strip. The large, arched-windowed space has been totally transformed from its previous life as Solid Grounds. Minimally decorated, yet surprisingly warm, the makeover is astounding.
Owners Dave Cooper and Dave Simpson have successfully created a space that is handsomely done. The grand gothic windows, a welcoming fireplace, and an impressive visible wine cellar bespeak good design and class. Having only eleven tables, the unique seating arrangement provides plenty of space and allows individual privacy. Leather, lounge-style seating as well as traditional wooden tables and chairs are available. A social bar, serving both wine and beer, has two flat screen televisions, making Wine Thief a destination for an enjoyable dinner, as well as a spot to catch a Buffalo game.
An intriguing assortment of available wines complements the light fare and can fulfill any palate, caving, or pocketbook. Many more wines are available by bottle than by the glass. We started our experience with a lovely glass of a Chateau Magence ($7, $28) a Graves white. This White Bordeaux, a Sauvignon, Semillon blend, is a great opener to a meal; being light and fruity, dry but not too dry, and well balanced with a hint of acid and a soft finish.
Beyond an impressive wine menu, a compelling dinner menu of small plates--a relatively novel idea for Buffalo--will engage the guest at first glance. Each dish is a well-rounded tasting of flavors. The new fall menu, executed by Chef Justin Hernandez, has special touches adhering to true creative seasonal cooking. Each small plate option had special additions and accoutrements that whisper an essence of fall; the pomegranate risotto and quince roasted almond chutney are great examples.
The Sweet Potato Bisque ($9) introduced the menu. The soup possessed a lovely autumn orange color, and a gentle smooth texture. A dollop of tarragon cream balanced the subtle sweet flavor, with the exotic essence of anise. I found the full-leaf tarragon garnish aesthetically pleasing, though overpowering when eaten whole; perhaps a chiffonade of tarragon could have achieved the same look with a diffused flavor. Over all, this soup hailed the season, and was a nice introduction to our meal.
Although moving out of tomato season, sheer curiosity lead my guest and I to try the Wine Thief's version of a Caprese, the Fried Heirloom Tomato ($9). As I suspected, the tomatoes were beyond their peak flavor, but this is an intriguing version of a heavy fall salad. Plated off center, the fried tomato stack sits tall with a rather large skewered rosemary garnish and artfully applied balsamic syrup. The fried tomatoes are coated in a flavorful seasoned crust and stacked with molten mozzarella and fresh basil. The balsamic syrup reduction has a nice consistency and flavor. Enough fat and crunch gave oomph to the last hurrah of the tomato season.
We moved on to the alternate reds list for pairing with the main courses. Excited to see an organically grown grape option, we went for the Natura Carmenere, from Colchaque Valley Chile ($6, $22). This is a fabulous wine with a beautiful berry color. Aromas of coffee and chocolate lead to the wine's earthy and rich currant flavors, and finish with a smooth sophistication. The intense berry flavor complemented both of our entrée choices, as well as our dessert.
We chose the Center Cut Pork Chop ($16) and the Shredded Cold Water Lobster ($16). The Center Cut Pork Chop 7oz was stuffed with garlic, asiago and rosemary, and served with caramelized snow peas and wedged sweet potatoes. Beautifully plated on an elegant rectangular plate, this dish presented rich colors with pleasing textures. The stuffed pork chop has defined grill lines, creating a variation of texture throughout the pork. The stuffing added needed moisture to the pork. Although the knife was hard to navigate in order to portion all of the elements at once, the combination of the garlic, rosemary, and asiago played nicely off the pork, as well as the sides. The wedged sweet potatoes were seasoned well and brought harvest sweetness to the plate, but the caramelized snow peas were the highlight. Rich, crunchy, seasoned perfectly, and still maintaining a bright green color, they rounded out this dish with freshness and a complementary texture.
The Shredded Cold Water Lobster with orchiette, cherry tomatoes, leeks, sherry and sharp New York cheddar sauce ($16) was not quite what I was expecting from the menu description, but it turned out to be very enjoyable. Much like an upscale Mac and cheese, this is a perfect example of comfort food for the ushering in of the cold season. A parsley garnish and a dusting of parmesan topped the pasta. An unexpected pairing of cheddar and lobster really worked, with the sherry tying the flavors together. The sweetness of the lobster pulled against the earthy sharp cheddar, creating a depth in this dish. The orchiette (Italian for little ears) pasta was a perfect vessel for the sauce. The freshness of the leeks and the acid of the tomato added a much needed lift to the heaviness of the dish.
Wine Thief offers several tantalizing dessert options provided by fellow Buffalo business, the Sweet Tooth. My dinner companion is quite the chocolate enthusiast, so we opted for a slice of the Double Chocolate Decadence Tort. Three layers of high quality chocolate tort rested between a not-too-sweet, creamy chocolate frosting. The red wine went especially well with the dessert; the chocolate tort accented the hints of chocolate in the wine. I prefer dry bold red wines with my sweets, and this was a simple, satisfying end to a meal.
Fresh herbs, fine ingredients, and reasonable prices are constant through the menu, but the wine list makes the restaurant worth the visit. Wine Thief is open from 4PM until 2AM Tuesday through Thursday, 3PM to 2AM Friday and Saturday, and for the late eaters the kitchen serves until 12AM Tuesday through Thursday, and until 1AM on Friday and Saturday.
Wine Thief
431 Elmwood
Buffalo, NY 14222
716.332.2929
thewinethiefbuffalo.com
Am I the only one who is off-put by the mentions of "harvest" and the "fall menu"? How long has this article been sitting around waiting to be published?
I believe there were other typos (or at least awkwardness) but the hours should obviously be listed as "3PM to 2AM" not "3PM to 2PM" for Friday and Saturday... the way it's printed would require time travel.
I thought this was a fairly exhaustive and well-written piece. And I see 3PM TO 2AM.
And what do you mean "I believe there were other typos?" Like you believe in the Easter Bunny? If you're going to be the type of d-bag who tries to run smack about typos and grammar, you have to point out the typos; you can't simply say "I believe there were other typos"
The typo I pointed out was corrected.
And it's not my job to do an exhaustive grammatical overhaul, that's for an editor to handle. But I thought that the hours were the number one priority for correction.