I'm never going to be one to pass up checking out the latest wine bar, so when a friend suggested we try Enolo, I was happy to agree. Other than a quick review of their website, I had heard nothing, so had no expectations. From the minute you walk in it is warm and inviting; a cozy atmosphere with unique decor.
The 25 bottle wine list, made up of mostly small vineyards, provides for some excellent wine flights. You can choose glasses, bottles or flights of wine. If you are a beer drinker, they also have a nice selection of craft beers. We each started with a wine flight, sampling both red and white options, and then picked our favorite for a glass. The flights were nicely balanced; while I had a clear favorite, I would have ordered a glass of any of the three.
The menu is fairly simple, made up of small bites, salads, bruschetta and panini selections. There are a few entree choices as well. We started with the Artichoke and Leek Dip from the small bites portion of the menu; it was fantastic. We then moved on to bruschetta and salads. The bruschetta selection is amazing - each option includes four generous pieces and you can easily make a light meal of this with one of their salad selections. I'd recommend ordering a few different ones to share. I think my favorite was the salmon, though they were all so good it would be hard to pick just one. My friend ordered the beet salad, while she said it was good, apparently the beets were a little under-cooked.
Like any new place, there are a few kinks to be worked out, however I will definitely go back, probably many times!
Enolo Wine Cafe is located at 450 N. Clark Street in Chicago's River North neighborhood.
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