Excellent wine, decent food, and great service make Max’s Wine Dive a perfect place for a romantic evening downtown

On Friday night, Shannon and I enjoyed a “date night” at Max’s Wine Dive.  Max’s has a special place in our hearts since it was the site of our first date eight months ago, making this return visit a celebration of the special, loving bond that’s built up in the meantime.

As we sat down in this hip, bustling downtown spot, we reminisced a bit about our first date, when we hadn’t made reservations and were lucky enough to be seated at the bar.  This time, we were at an actual table, and we ordered two glasses of a sparkling wine, Chandon Etoile Rose, as bubbles seemed appropriate for this festive occasion.  The wine was excellent, with subtle hints of strawberry, a certain smoothness at the mid-palate, and a dry, crisp finish.

We enjoyed the sparkling wine with a cheese plate, which consisted of slices of blue, manchego, and brie.  The blue was our favorite, as it was topped with honeycomb whose sweetness perfectly complemented the salty cheese.  The manchego was a harder, mild cheese, which was accentuated by a topping of raisins that had been soaked in cherry vinegar.  We thought that this cheese would have been top-notch if it had been a bit sharper, and that would have proved a more intriguing flavor contrast with the raisins.   Finally, the brie was a bit of a disappointment, as it was topped with a kalamata olive tapenade that lended an oily texture to the cheese, which detracted from the sweet creaminess of the brie.

(from left to right) the brie, manchego, and blue

By this point, we were ready for another glass of wine.  Max’s Wine Dive has a unique policy whereby diners can order glasses from any bottle on the list, as long as you commit to at least two glasses.  Shannon and I had experienced this excellent deal on our first date, when we ordered the Luke Donald Claret, and while it was certainly enticing to repeat what works, we ventured outside the box with an Argentinean red wine, Dolium “La Terna,” which is a blend of malbec, tempranillo, and cabernet sauvignon.  As you can imagine, this turned out to be quite a bold wine, packed with earthy flavors.  The hue of the wine is an intense violet; aromas of tobacco and coffee warn the drinker to be prepared for a dynamic confluence of flavors.  Indeed, “La Terna” carries an excellent structure, with spicy undertones and a lasting finish.

Shannon enjoyed the Wild Atlantic Salmon entrée between sips of “La Terna..”  The pan-roasted salmon was topped with an assortment of delicious mushrooms: sautéed shiitake, oyster, and hen of the woods.  These mushrooms were almost as prominent on the plate as the salmon, and a citrus beurre blanc complemented the flavors with a light zinginess, as opposed to being overly buttery.  My one critique is that the salmon was a tad dry from being slightly overcooked.  (Click here for other ways to prepare salmon).

Meanwhile, I chose the shrimp and grits, without the bacon that usually comes with it.  Six medium-size shrimp and a pan-fried grit cake sat in a bowl of buttery broth.  The grit cake was the highlight, as it mixed very well with the broth, creating a moist, buttery treat that was never too soggy.  The shrimp weren’t bad, although there’s not much original about combining shrimp with a butter sauce.  Two large slices of ciabatta bread accompanied the meal, and they proved to be essential for dipping into the butter sauce, as the plate wouldn’t have been very filling without these additional carbohydrates.

Finally, we couldn’t leave without sampling the desserts.  I was attracted to the bread pudding, while Shannon craved the Big Ass Brownie.  Alas, the menu offered the “half and half,” which is a combination of both that’s presented quite attractively, with each half topped with a generous scoop of Amy’s ice cream (dark chocolate on the brownie and Mexican vanilla on the bread pudding).  The chocolate brownie featured a spicy kick, as it’s cooked with a bit of ancho chile pepper.  On the other half of the plate, the bread pudding consisted of a white chocolate brioche soaked in custard before being baked; the end result was moist and rich.  I thoroughly enjoyed the contrasting flavors of the white chocolate in the bread pudding and the dark chocolate in the brownie.  We also shared a glass of ice wine, which was strong and sweet, with a subtle flavor of tangerine bursting through before finishing cleanly.

Max’s Wine Dive is a romantic place for drinking a variety of types of wine, along with enjoying some good food.  The service was also excellent, as our waiter was knowledgeable about the extensive wine list, and he was attentive without ever making us feel rushed.

Plus, Max’s will always have a special place in our hearts as no couple can ever forget where their love began its blossoming journey.