Like attaching a fake mustache to a Halloween mask or cleverly changing your name from Obi-Wan Kenobi to Ben Kenobi, adding a new ingredient to something familiar can render it delightfully unrecognizable. Enjoy inventive eats with today's Groupon: for $25, you get $50 worth of upscale American fare and drinks at Spill the Wine.
Spill the Wine’s executive chef, Craig Johnson, concocts an artful blend of American fare tinged with a Mediterranean influence and served alongside an impressive array of wines from around the globe. Like Euro-Mt. Rushmore, the menu is a monument to cross-continental accomplishments with dishes such as the small plates of duck rilletes with fig jam ($10) and the griddle burger ($12 for lunch; $14 for dinner) draped with aged colby cheese and sided with fancy fries. The turkey club ($10) greets lunchers with a fashionable ensemble of smoked bacon, tomato, and pickled red onion, and the grilled skirt steak ($22) with avocado and pickled red onion coordinate meaty goodness with chile glazed sweet potatoes. As its name implies, Spill the Wine accompanies eats with cosmopolitan glasses of vino including California whites ($8+), French reds ($7+), and organic varietals from across the globe.
Floor-to-ceiling front windows flood the modern dining room with light that bounces off of wall-mounted paintings and murals. Beautifully plated dinners serenade guests with savory hymns in the open-kitchen dining area, and a handcrafted oaken bar top regales visitors with raucous tavern jokes in the separate lounge area.
Spill the Wine
Inside its rustic Uptown dining room, Spill the Wine invites diners to pair local wines with tapas-style servings of new American cuisine. The menus—which readily accommodate vegan and gluten-free diets—rotate seasonally as the chefs scour local, sustainable farms for new ingredients. Shareable plates of wild-caught salmon with elote salad or house-made spaghetti with quinoa meatballs reflect the chefs' eclectic influences.
Worldly Wines
With more than 100 wines—including more than 30 by the glass—Spill the Wine provides plenty opportunities for pairing food and drink. The selection of Old and New World bottles is designed to complement the current menus, with everything from crisp French sauvignon blancs to bold Columbia Valley syrahs occupying the extensive list.
A Glance Inside
Edison bulbs, walls with patchy brickwork and mismatched wooden slats, and a bar supported by empty wine barrels provide a rustic ambiance. At the same time, the dining area features some elements that lend a modern, industrial vibe, such as the exposed ductwork, concrete floors, and the furnace where the staff smelts every piece of used silverware after service.
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