text: Chic and modern decor with a worldly and dark vibe that is a perfect nook for some low profile gatherings for either couples or slightly larger parties Sadly though this place strays from greatness with their rather limited wine selection and a minimal safe food selectionnnI stopped in last weekend with the wife and another couple friend for the specific purpose of having some good wine and conversation We grabbed a nice corner of couches that was perfect for the purpose of the evening The lighting was pretty dark save for the lit candle centerpieces on the tables Candles should make a serious comeback perfect mood lighting that gets lost with larger scale dining rooms Points to Wine Loft for thisnnHowever irony starts to set in when you go to look at the wine list offered by Wine Loft All the basics are covered here chard zin cab and sparkling but the options are all safe plays wellknown brands find their way onto and all over the menu Nothing exciting nothing new and tempting On top of that I brought a couple bottles of my own wine and asked if they could open and pour with an appropriate corkage fee common at most restaurants No dice The server said they flat out do not allow outside bottles into Wine Loft I get it they want to see you buy their stuff but you can kiss the diehard wine community buhbye with this policy nnThe other thing I questioned is their price by the glass vs price by the bottle option Basically all their wines are served by the glass and if you want a bottle just multiply that price x That is the usual number of glasses one should get from a bottle but that just reinforces the idea that all the wine choices here are safe bets nothing special Nothing rare or interesting enough you would only sell it by the bottle and command the typical premium for this This misses the mark in a wine bar that otherwise is designed for and has the execution to attract an upper end of the marketnnWe did have a couple artisan cheese plates which were served with a decent portion of different cheese and a number of crackers fruit slices and some almonds No problem here but again the cheese selections were all safe and borderline artisan There was a gorgonzola a brie and two others that obviously did not register enough with me No options to craft your own mix of cheeses no note of who actually made those cheeses or where they come from Yep nice and safe againnnThere are a handful of other appetizertype choices on the menu and a couple desserts I cannot speak to those other than to say that I would not try to make dinner out of them All starters or finishers at bestnnId go back just for the ambiance this place exudes but I would definitely plan to eat elsewhere and I would not go here again with the idea to really drink some serious wine Maybe this is a good place to meet up have a first drink and then head out elsewhere That is the most you will get from me when you stick to playing it safe