Wine Bar at Solaire -- Hudson, OH

A group of our friends celebrate a Wine Wednesday with us every other week. It's a nice way to check out local wineries and wine bars, which is particularly appealing to our friend Dennis who fancies himself to be a learning wine connoisseur. It's also a nice break during the work week, Wednesday is far enough into the week, but far enough from the weekend to feel like a mini-celebration.

I accidentally discovered the Wine Bar at Solaire while across the street at another restaurant (which I will post a review of soon). I noticed the Wine Bar sign and thought that it would be cool to try out. I always get nervous about how busy a location might be, so I made a reservation that afternoon, but like most locations Wednesday evening was a pretty slow night for the Wine Bar at Solaire.

Something that makes this location unique is that Solaire is a Spa and Salon in Hudson. The Wine Bar is above the Spa/Salon and managed separately. However, if you call to make a reservation, someone at the Spa/Salon may be entering your information into the reservation book.

Everyone in our group liked how the Wine Bar at Solaire was decorated. It was classic, but with nice modern touches.

You also have a nice view of all of the available wines through the case. My friend who is interested in wine was skeptical about this venue since it was above a Spa/Salon, but he ended up being very impressed with the wine list. There are over 150 wines available from different regions and countries. 

Dennis knows what type of wine I like and had me order a German Riesling. The prices per glass/bottle vary, my glass was $9, but you could spend more or less depending on the type of wine you choose to order.

Prior to our appetizers, we were served balsamic reduction, olive oil and kalamata olive. We all enjoyed the bread and olive oil. The plate presentation was beautiful and we loved watching other people's plates of food go past. 

Dave and I started with the bruschetta. sorry that the photos are a little dark I hate using the flash for food pictures, I think it doesn't do the food justice. We really enjoyed this appetizer, it was the right amount for two people to split, although bruschetta is a pretty traditional appetizer, this one was nicely proportioned -- the tomatoes were ripe and plentiful, there wasn't too much basil. I appreciated the balsamic drizzle over the top as well.

Two members of our group started with the shredded duck potstickers in a miso broth. Both Preston and Dennis were happy with this appetizer and thought the miso broth was well seasoned and flavorful. Once again the plate presentation was very nice. 

For dinner Dennis ordered the Moulard Duck Breast which was served in a cherry port sauce with a root vegetable medley. 

Dave, Preston, and I ordered the Goat Cheese Salad which was field greens, crisp goat cheese, apples, strawberries, candied almonds and honey balsamic dressing.

Pictured here is half of the salad, the chef was kind enough to split the salad for Dave and me. I had forgotten to ask for my dressing on the side and was happy to see that it already came that way. The julienned green apples were a nice touch, it helped to distribute them throughout the salad nicely. The fried goat cheese was one of the best things I have ever had. We all agreed that it would be awesome as the focal point of a unique entree, perhaps a pasta dish. I could seriously sit and just eat the fried goat cheese alone.

Two of us thought it was the best salad that we had ever had, it met all of the right flavor notes and it left me feeling satisfied, but not overindulgent. 

Our friend Steph was looking for more of a meal and had mentioned to our server that she was a vegetarian. It turns out the chef is a vegetarian and likes to experiment with different recipes. Steph said that she would love something not on the menu and he created her these vegetable stuffed pastry tarts. She really enjoyed them and passed along her compliments to the chef. 

We're all big on ordering dessert, so we decided to order something before we even looked at the dessert menu.

Molten Lava Cake - "warm dense chocolate cake with a molten chocolate center, served with vanilla bean ice cream." I thought this dessert was the perfect size to split and it was a nice way to end our meal.

Our friend ordered the creme brulee, another perfectly portioned dessert. 

Baklava Sundae - "vanilla bean ice cream with warm baklava and light caramel." I thought this was really creative, Steph and Preston thought that it was a nice sized portion, not too much baklava (as if there is such a thing).

After seeing mixed reviews about the Wine Bar at Solaire on Yelp and other online sites, I was incredibly surprised with the pleasant experience we had. I thought the atmosphere was cozy and that the food was superb. I thought the prices perfectly reflected the quality and quantity of the food we received and even the critic of our group was supremely impressed.

My rating for the Wine Bar at Solaire: