We have been pushing hard for this for a while and finally some restaurants seem to be warming up to the idea of offering wine as part of their prix-fixe menu.  While some are offering it as an option in place of dessert, others are offering a glass of wine in lieu of the dessert course altogether.  No offense to dessert-happy people or to all the fine pastry chefs out there (though I can tell you point blank I have zero interest whatsoever in watching the upcoming ‘Top Chef: Just Desserts’).  Wine is a mandatory part of almost every meal we eat out while dessert, quite frankly, is not.  I’ll take a 2-course prix-fixe + a glass of wine any day over your standard 3-course prix-fixe.  Who wouldn’t?  Take, for example, Aroma Kitchen & Winebar’s Frugal Feast that begins again starting next week (36 E. 4th St).  Every Tuesday and Wednesday, you can get 2 courses (app + main) plus a glass of wine for $32.  This is exactly the type of deal I’m looking for.  (NB: They’re also offering it Thursday and Friday pre-theater; click here for the menu)

If you have a sweet tooth at the end of a meal, you can get a dessert for the table and lots of spoons or forks and split it.  When’s the last time you’ve split a glass of wine?  That’s why I don’t feel Restaurant Week provides that much, if any, value for wine drinkers who are lukewarm on dessert.  A couple of glasses of wine + a $35 Restaurant Week dinner and the bill’s going to be higher that a nice dinner out with a couple of glasses of wine each and no dessert.  Thankfully, a handful of Restaurant Week participants will now permit you to substitute a glass of wine for the dessert course.

Bond 45, Cafe Fiorello, Trattoria Dell’Arte, Redeye Grill and Shelly’s Trattoria are all allowing diners to substitute a glass of red or white wine from their sommelier’s selections in place of dessert.

And restaurants please take note.  If I’m getting one glass of wine as part of my prix-fixe, chances are pretty darn good that I’m ordering another glass during the meal.  It’s not gonna hurt your bottom line.  It may even help increase wine sales.

Here are some other restaurants around the city that are offering wine in connection with their prix-fixe menus:

Zerza — Offering a glass of wine and two course dinner for $15.95.  Sundays through Thursdays 4-6:45 pm.  308 E. 6th St; 212-529-8250)a glass of wine and two course dinner for $15.95.

Ardesia – A glass of wine or beer (choose between two whites, two reds or any beer on tap) + two snacks or salads (like garlic shrimp skewers, homemade pretzels, pork belly bites and salt cod cakes) for $20 on Mondays and Tuesdays.  (510 W. 52nd St; 212-247-9191)

Vento Trattoria – Offering a $12.95 Pizza or Pasta + Wine or Beer special Sun-Wed 4pm-close.  (675 Hudson St; 212-699-2400)

Bondi Road — Offering the Beach Blanket Special everyday – 2 courses and glass of wine for $20. (153 Rivington St; 212-253-5311)

Elizabeth — 2-course prix-fixe + glass of wine or a beer on Monday’s for $25. Menu here (265 Elizabeth St; 212-334-2426)

Some places aren’t even alienating the dessert lovers out there:

Les Sans Culottes — Offering a 3-course lunch prix-fixe for $16.50 and a 3-course dinner prix-fixe with free glass of wine for $25. (1085 2nd Ave; 212-838-6660)

Lupa — Special late-night dining $26 3-course prix fixe that comes with a glass of wine. (170 Thompson St; 212-982-5089)

Via Emilia — Offering a 4-course prix-fixe for $25 on Wednesday nights (plus you get 4 glasses of Lambrusco). From 5-8pm. (47 E. 21st; 212-505-3072)

We only hope that more restaurants will soon follow suit.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS