secco wine bar

Do not walk, RUN, to Secco Wine Bar (2933 West Cary St) immediately! Or actually, get in your car and drive there. It will most likely be faster, unless you run really fast, but the car option will be less sweaty.

I know this may come as a shock to you, but I do not always make the best decisions. Like the time I wore sandals to dinner or the time I went to happy hour during a cleanse and just about every time I order pizza. I am excited to report that I have figured out a way to have an amazing time, no decisions required. The secret is flight night at Secco.

On flight night (Mondays) you can try three wines for just $10 and you don’t even have to pick them. Get the Dealer’s Choice and tell the bartender (who happens to be a celebrity video star) what you like and don’t like. He does the rest! We got a sampling of 6 wines (2 flights), all with names I could not pronounce, all fantastic.

The first wine I tried was a semi-sparkling Arino that was so light and refreshing I would put it in my gym water bottle. I think if I did this, I would be much more inclined to get serious about my workout regimen. We also tried a Pinot Noir Sparkling Rose that I would like to be buried with when I die, so that I can drink it in heaven. (This is only kind of a joke.)

Here is another bonus about Flight Night. It happens to fall on a night that the Chef’s Tasting Menu is only $28. Five courses for $28 and you don’t have to pick them. The Chef picks them for you!!! You read that correctly, one of the best Chef’s in Richmond picks items from his menu (and some off the menu) for you to eat, for $28.

Get ready to be really jealous when I tell you what we had:

Course one: fried almonds with Za’atar & sea salt and marinate Basque olives

(don’t know what Za’atar is, but it tastes good)

Course two: crostinis, one with eggplant caponata and one with lump crab, squash and marojam (don't know what marojam is either, but it also tastes good)

Course three: butter noodles with roasted tomatoes and tomato butter

Course three: shrimp in a garlic sauce with cranberry beans and bok choy

(that’s right, there were two course threes, a different one for each of us!)

Course four: the cutest lamb sliders you ever saw with date relish and a blue/brie cheese

Course four: smoked pork belly with fresh fig salad

(yep, two course fours, too!)

Course five: caramel gelato (that tasted like frozen butter in the very best possible way)

Course five: cream puffs with candied love on top

Find your car keys, because you need to get going. Did I mention this was $28 per person? The Chef’s Menu thing is Sunday through Wednesday, but flight night is only on Monday.  

I just realized that my very first post on this blog was about Secco. I don’t know why, but it makes me sentimental. In that post I said that I don’t like mixing eating and drinking, but I totally take that back. My new recommendation is go on a Monday, do the flight thing and the food thing. You will not regret it!