Felice-itations

Over the years, my taste in bars has changed quite a bit. In college, I opted for the dive bar with the best drink specials. Just after graduation, I preferred the bigger, more commercial bars with the best cover bands (and, of course, drink specials didn’t hurt either). When I go out for a drink now, however, the bigger, louder, and more crowded a place is, the less inclined I am to even step foot through the door. Instead, I prefer smaller, more intimate spots where I am guaranteed a seat and a table, places where I won’t have to shout in order to be heard because the music is a background accent rather than an overpowering pulse, and where I no longer have to worry about drink specials, as I and most other patrons rarely order more than one or two. And I have found that the type of bar most likely to meet my current criteria is a wine bar, which is why my friend Kristin and I decided to meet for a drink in the newly opened Felice just last week.

Located on 1st Avenue between 63rd and 64th Streets, in the spot previously occupied by Focaccia Fiorentina, Felice Wine Bar became a resident of the UES at the end of December. When I walked in last week, I found Kristin seated at the barrel-shaped bar and a healthy array of customers filling the small yet well-apportioned space, in the center of which a glass-jug chandelier hangs over a large family-style table, creating a rustic Italian feel that is enhanced by the exposed brick walls and wine-filled shelves.

“What are you drinking?” I asked Kristin as a friendly host escorted us to our table for two, graciously sliding it aside so that we could squeeze into the table’s bench seating without spilling the glass of red wine Kristin had purchased at the bar – or the glasses perched on the tables that bordered ours.

“It’s spelled Q-u-i-n-i-s,” replied Kristin, “but I’m not sure how to pronounce it. The bartender recommended it though, and it’s really good.”

When our waitress arrived to take my drink order, I pointed to the item marked “Quinis, Sardi Giustiniani 2005”, eager to try a red wine that I had never heard of before and that I wasn’t quite sure how to pronounce.

“The kwine-iss?” I asked uncertainly.

“Oh, the keen-iss,” the waitress politely corrected my mispronunciation.

“Keen-iss,” I repeated. “Yes, please. And we’d also like to share the Tagliere Misto Di Formaggi E Salumi.” You don’t even want to know how I pronounced that one, but I was pretty sure I had just ordered a platter of assorted meats and cheeses. Since the menu had paired it with the Quinis we had chosen, we figured we were making a safe and informed selection.

My wine arrived promptly, a rich red blend that was perfect for warming up on what was a cold, slushy evening, along with a basket of warm, crusty bread and crunchy breadsticks with a dish of dipping oil. Our meat and cheese board followed, and we were relieved to see that it was in fact full of sliced meats like prosciutto and salami, squares of unidentified but delicious cheeses, olives, and even a small dish of honey for dipping.

Our wine perfectly complemented the assortment in front of us, which wound up being just the light meal we had been looking for. Though we did not order additional entrées, we did eye the other items on the menu, like the spinach- and ricotta-filled ravioli, the roasted chicken stuffed with filet mignon and porcini mushrooms, and the bamboo steamed red snapper, deciding that we would have to return for a full meal sometime soon.

In the meantime, however, we enjoyed our wine, our selection of snacks, and the warm, relaxing atmosphere, certain that all three were more satisfying than any drink specials or cover bands could ever be.