Food Guy: New wine bar opening on West Side; award-winning noodle kugel recipe

Deep plum-colored walls adorned with vintage mirrors and colorful art frame a “living room� type space anchored by matching navy blue loveseats with a smattering of leather, fabric and wood chairs paired with accent tables. There are also a few, um, rather interesting conversation pieces situated throughout (I’m talking about you, silver naked butt table).

Oriental rugs are laid across the wood floor and a collection of mismatched lamps and hanging globes bathe everything in calming soft light. A tiny four-seat, tin-paneled pocket bar sits in the back of the room.

While the décor looks inviting, the wine itself seems pretty basic. The list is small — there are only five whites and three reds listed on the menu I’ve seen. But prices are reasonable, ranging from $9-12 per glass and $31-43 per bottle.

White wines:

• Italy: Riondo Prosecco, Voga Moscato or Stemmari Pinot Grigio
• New Zealand: Wairau River Sauvignon Blanc
• North Carolina: Lapis Luna Chardonnay

Red wines:

• Oregon: Castle Rock Pinot Noir
• California: Cline Farmhouse Red Blend and Cline 7 Ranchlands Cabernet Sauvignon

There’s also Stella Artois beer for $6, and — to savor while you sip — personal charcuterie boxes for $12 featuring an assortment of dried and cured meats, cheeses, olives, dried fruit and chocolate.

I suspect this place will have to expand its options to keep folks coming back, but I look forward to checking it out myself next week. Come join me for a glass or two.

Award-winning recipe

After I shared my experience judging B’nai Jacob Synagogue’s first-ever Noodle Kugel Bake-Off last month, several of you wrote in asking if I could snag the recipe for Janet Victorson’s winning Spicy Thai Peanut Kugel.

Fellow judge and former Gazette-Mail food writer Judy Grigoraci sent me Janet’s recipe, along with a note that the labneh it calls for can be found at the Bigley Piggly Wiggly (I never get tired saying that).

Here’s the recipe: