I see that I have forgotten to report on the May meeting of our book club. The book, which I'll review in the next post, was Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris, the author of Chocolat, so staying with the theme we met at the Postino Winecafe on Central.
This Postino location is yet another converted dwelling with a very small parking lot and neighbors hostile to restaurant customers spilling over into their space, but they have done their best to cope by providing free valet parking. The interior of the restaurant is chic but welcoming and patio seating is available, although it was a little too warm for us the night we met. The hostess seated us inside on what looked like a u-shaped sectional sofa with a table in the middle and two hassock-like seats on the fourth side.
Of course, since it's a wine cafe, Postino has a great selection of wine, much of which is $5 per glass before 5pm. Postino's food menu is heavy on appetizers and salads, although they also offer several types of panini. The real reason to eat there, though, is the bruschetta. They have 11 regular varieties and a seasonal special; for $14 you get four different flavors (your choice) served on a wooden cutting board. The pieces are generous, the flavor combinations are ingenious, and the colors and textures are gorgeous.
I ordered the Roasted Peppers with Goat Cheese, the Smoked Salmon with Pesto, the Warm Artichoke Spread, and the Prosciutto with Figs & Mascarpone. They were all delicious, but I think my favorite was the Prosciutto with Figs & Mascarpone. The slightly salty prosciutto, slightly sweet fruit, creamy cheese and fresh bread contrasted wonderfully with each other and tasted just a little different with each bite. Everyone else raved about their choices as well; my sister was especially happy with the Brie & Apples with Fig Spread bruschetta.
Our waitress was very attentive although somewhat politically incorrect (I've never had a waitperson that young call me "Hon" before). The hostess also checked on us a couple of times during the evening.
The down side of Postino as a meeting place for the club was the noise level, which made the book discussion a little challenging. We were also surprised to see that the clientele appeared to be about 75% female, perhaps because (despite the size of the portions) the menu looks like it's "nibble food." Not, in short, the place to meet Mr. Right - he's probably somewhere else ordering a steak.
"...unique, approachable wines; simple, delicious food prepared with local ingredients; and a warm, edgy culture that brings everyone together." ~from Postino's website
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