On a cold, wintery New York night, sometimes you just need to warm up with a glass of red wine and some hearty food. Stepping into Bin on Bleecker in the West Village (which was previously Bar’rique), you can smell the aromas wafting out of the open kitchen as you scan the room; the air is calm, people are chatting, the hostess greets you with a smile, seats you at a leather banquette, offers you the large (but not overwhelming) wine list, and you know you’re going to be fine.

At most wine bars, you can expect the usual charcuterie selection, crostini, and small plates, but Bin on Bleecker has a pretty gracious menu. Brought to you by Lawrence Bondulich, son of restaurateur Al Bondulich (owner of Bondini’s), you'll reap the benefits of his experience and knowledge on both sides of the marble bar. The wines are mostly organic and sustainable, and the food menu offers seasonal, entrée-sized portions of “Global, New American” dishes like meatballs, short ribs, and roasted chicken. The service was impeccable as well, making it a lovely place to really just wind down.

When it comes to choosing a wine, I have yet to meet too many varietals that I don’t like, but we were having trouble deciding between two reds, so the very friendly waitress let us taste both before we settled on a well-rounded, medium bodied 2008 Foradori Teroldego. It paired nicely with the charcuterie plate, which comprised of three meats (soppresata, prosciutto di parma, and bresaola) and three cheeses (triple cream La Tur, Asiago Pressato, and aged Parmigiano Reggiano). The prosciutto was salty, the Asiago was extra sharp, and the Parmigiano Reggiano was nutty and crumbly, a nice antithesis to the tart Granny Smith apples and honey that is served with the selections. It is my belief that charcuterie should be served with every meal as an appetizer.

Even though crostini is something you can find in practically every wine bar, you still have to try one or two because let’s face it, they are a good palate teaser for wine. We tried two: crostini with ricotta, honey, almonds and thyme, and crostini with truffled white beans and chives. The ricotta, honey, almonds and thyme was the winner here – the flavors worked wonderfully together, playing off of the sweet, nutty and herbaceous notes. The white bean and chives was ok, but a little bland. Lesson learned so far: honey and cheese is a winning combination.

Not surprisingly, the menu also includes a tuna tartare (good luck finding a menu these days without one). But it's a nice one: very fresh, mixed with lemon juice, avocado, peppers, and cilantro. It was nice match for the delicious garlic-butter toast points, very reminiscent of its steak cousin. Meatballs were also terrific, served in surprising company: a savory mushroom and barley broth standing in for the ubiquitous tomato sauce. I liked it. They were tender and had an earthy flavor that was lovely.

Sides were good and, well, not so good. Brussels sprouts are great,  roasted with lemon juice and chili flake, browned and crisp on the edges. These were a nice change from the usual bacon-braised play. The cauliflower gratin on the other hand, was a bit disappointing. Sort of the culinary equivalent of staring at an incredibly good looking person, only to cringe when they open their mouth. You wish they would just go back to looking pretty in silence. This dish looked very promising, but it didn’t hold up to it’s appearance. It was lacking in that nutty cheese flavor and the sauce was kind of thin, so it wasn’t very creamy.

Still, one strike doesn’t mean you’re out, and fortunately there are plenty of other things to choose from at Bin on Bleecker. Maybe the best way to get a feel for the menu is to try one of the “signature” dishes: braised short rib with horseradish mashed potatoes and snap peas. The meat was super tender, but I didn’t care for the way it was served: one huge rectangular block of short rib sitting in broth. This piece was very fatty, and sliding around in a deep cast iron dish on top of that broth was making it hard to cut. The few pieces I managed to cut off were pretty tasty, but the horseradish mashed potatoes stood out more in my opinion with a nice tangy bite. And if the side stands out more than the main I think that’s something worth fixing. At this point we were quite full, but we managed to save some room for dessert.

The dessert menu wasn’t expansive, but the warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream was perfect. Warm indeed, the chocolate was rich and dense with the cold vanilla ice cream slowly melting over it like lava. Sometimes the best things in life are the simple, chocolatey things. Walking out of Bin on Bleecker, you’ll feel warmed from the inside out. Whether it comes from the wine, the food, or both, you’ll be glad you braved the cold.  

Bin on Bleecker is located at 264 Bleecker Street btwn 6th and 7th Avenues, 212-620-3111

—Dara Pollak

Andrea Strong