Nina Simone’s belting out “birds flyin’ high,” and the pink Spanish Garnacha looks like a chilly autumn sunset in a glass. There’s a wonderful goaty tang in the ivory crumbles of Humboldt Fog cheese. And the chair’s comfortable. What’s not to like?
Scarlett’s Wine Bar has cozied itself into a pleasant old neighborhood. It’s a bistro of sorts, with a great wine list, a good beer selection, and some fine food. Look for the inviting patio out front. (There’s a larger one to the side.) The space inside is deceptive; what appears to be a small dining room stretches out, past an agreeably appointed bar. Tables are well spaced. Wine box sides shingle one wall. A floor-to-ceiling rack is imaginative. (No, you haven’t had too many: It really is slanted.)
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Swipe through the electronic menu, and you won’t get past the appetizers without temptation. The smoked trout is worthy, but the starter stars are cheese and charcuterie plates. Slabs of chicken liver pâté, with a delicious aspic rind, are lovely on crusty toast points. One cheese platter is loaded with excellent French fromages, including double-crème d’Affinois, herb-flecked Boursin, and creamy Chaumes. Another cheese starter, Three Little Goats, has such selections as that Humboldt Fog and a red wine–soaked Drunken Goat, which pair nicely with lustier vintages.
The lightest balsamic vinaigrette in town enhances a spinach salad with red and gold beets. A salty lemon-anchovy dressing plays an equally understated role in a salad of baby kale.
A wood-fired oven produces exceptional pizzas, such as the Meat Lover’s, loaded with pepperoni, sausage, and bacon. We’re still despondent over inadvertently leaving the pizza that we didn’t finish, layered with mushrooms and bedecked with house-made ricotta.
There were no leftovers with the burger, a backyard-style classic: grilled chuck and herbed cheddar on a yeasty brioche bun, accompanied by Tater Tot-like spuds with a side of aioli. Roasted brisket is shaved and shoved into a split baguette with a side of fragrant jus. The crab cakes were OK; they arrived crispy, but the crab-to-breading ratio could have been more generous.
The main courses succeed. A hefty grilled tenderloin is topped with melting Boursin cheese. A rack of lamb chops, marinated in a Dijon-and-shallot vinaigrette, comes with buttered orzo and rice-stuffed grape leaves. But this is a place where the lighter fare, matched with a meander through the wine and beer lists, makes for eminently enjoyable dining.
