24 San Diego Uptown News | Jan. 21-Feb. 3, 2011


FOOD/HEALTH & FITNESS


Whether it's Malbec or Merlot, it'll definitely be a steal Come On


1243 University Ave. (Hillcrest) 295-1188 Wine Steals Happy Hour: 4 to 7 p.m., Monday; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Friday


Get Happy! Dr. Ink


burst of warm weather last week called for an al fresco wine bath for all of Hillcrest to see, taken on the sidewalk patio of Wine Steals, where patrons are afforded some of the best seats in the neighborhood for people- watching.


A Wine Steals’ owner, Ken Mills, pours a bottle of red, then a bottle of white. (Dr. Ink/SDUN) SWIMCARE


During happy hour, which var- ies in duration Mondays through Fridays, we found wines selling by the glass at only $4 a pour. The rotating selection typically features eight choices: four reds and four whites. At least two of them are tapped from refillable kegs, a program Wine Steals implemented last year to reduce its carbon foot- print and to perhaps give the wrists of staffers a little respite from cork- ing bottles. Featured on this visit was a Malbec, a Bordeaux varietal that is king both in Argentina and Dr. Ink’s mouth. The grape is gener- ally used for blending, though when taken straight up, it tastes somewhere between Cabernet and Merlot. Thanks to the wine bar craze, the varietal has earned its due respect among newbie winos over the past several years. Australian Shoofly blending Syrah and Grenache was also available, along with a house pinot grigio that I’d rather drink when the weather is oppressively hot— or skip altogether. Inky reds are really my thing.


RATINGS: Drinks:


At least eight different wines by the glass are available at $4 apiece during happy hour. They cover the usual range of popular varietals as well as various blends. The offerings are listed on a chalk board hanging above the bar, and they change frequently. Beer is sold here, but it isn’t discounted.


Food: Two different types of house-made pizza by the slice change weekly; one featuring meat and the other meatless. The crusts are light and thin, and sauce is applied judiciously, so ask for some on the side if you require more.


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Value:


Full glass pours for $4 a pop are about as cheap as you’ll find them these days, unless if you resort to those insipid commercial wines stored on the back shelves of dive bars.


Service: If you’re a neophyte at wine drinking, the staff is trained to guide you to varietals that fit your taste. And for those who arrive shaking with hunger, the wait time for pizza is short.


Duration: Happy hour starts in the afternoon and verges intoearly evenings, allowing us ample time to choose, swirl and sip in multiple cycles.


House-made pizza also enters into the equation during happy hour, when slices are $2 apiece. The selection rotates weekly, and they can be refreshingly untradi- tional at times. The choices were cheese with mushroom and some- thing called “the Jason,” which is topped with pastrami, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing. It coincidentally fit the bill for National Pastrami Day. How did Dr. Ink know this? A fellow writer from Philadel- phia had e-mailed me the news earlier that afternoon, raising the question over where these silly food holidays originate. Without pondering it much initially, there I was a few hours later unexpect- edly coupling the spiced meat on the pizza with the juice in my stemware. A friendly combo by all accounts, the only thing missing was a rye crust.


One of the big draws of Wine Steals is that it offers a non-clubby, unpretentious scene conducive for meeting new faces should you arrive singly. The layout matches a European-style wine tasting room laden with barrels and stone to a retail section and kitchen in the back. Additional square footage was recently acquired when the ad- joining cheese shop, Taste, took its business exclusively to the farmers markets. That space now serves handily for consumer overflow. Since splashing into Hillcrest several years ago, Wine Steals has spawned three additional locations in Point Loma, Cardiff and down- town, all of which offer their own wine-and-pizza happy hours.u


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