Wine/Small Plates

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Noshing and sipping in the South Sound
by Jake and Jason de Paul
Jan 18, 2007

CAFE DIVINO

Tacoma’s first wine bar. It beckons you like a beacon with its friendly service, delicious bites and tasty sips. If the lasagna is on the sheet, fire that up. Yum! 2112 North 30th, Tacoma, 253.779.4226.

LINK: Happy hour

DOCKSIDE BISTRO & WINE BAR

Rain or shine, views of the Puget Sound and boats lift the spirits, and with an interesting wine list, the Dockside is all about spirits. I also enjoyed the intimate room with dark woods and large, expansive windows. Are spirits are high with knock out dishes such as butternut squash ravioli with boulder-size chunks of Wynoochee River blue cheese, curried sea scallops, and blackened salmon sandwich. The staff is as knowledgeable as anyone can be about 70-plus types of wine, and eager to turn you on to something new. 501 Columbia St. N.W., Olympia, 360.956.1928

ENOTECA

We adore Enoteca wine bar. It’s an ideal place to linger with old friends. Bill Bonnie opened this wine-and-cheese treasure in January 2006, next to his Tacoma Wine Merchants store. Enoteca is a tiny, intimate joint. Be careful walking into this long, narrow space — the door barely misses the best table in the house. Low lighting has the effect of making the snug room feel even smaller.

Enoteca offers three-ounce samples of three cheeses mixed with house herbed olives, pickles, grapes and bread for $12 or $7.50 for a half order. If Taleggio cheese is on the cheese board, buy it. Smoked salman plate ($8), brushetta with tomato and goat cheese ($6), walnut and pear salad ($8), and muffaletta sandwich ($8) are winners, too. 21 N. Tacoma Ave., Tacoma, 253.779.8258.

POUR AT FOUR

Owner Mark Merrill created the perfect small bites menu to accompany his massive list of single-pour wines. We found the crab cakes ($9) perfectly breaded, sided by a sturdy tarragon-caper aioli sauce. Add a spinach, bleu cheese and walnut stuffed ravioli salad ($8) and a glass of Waterbrook Merlot ($9), and sink into the chairs. 3814 N. 26th St., Tacoma, (253) 761-8015.