vinology, reviewed
May 12, 2006
UPDATE: I have been in contact with the fine people at Vinology and they assure me that they are working hard to make their restaurant better and better every day. What follows here is a review of a visit I made there when they had only been open a few weeks, and in the interest of giving another viewpoint, you may also wish to read this review from another 40-something mom at anno’s place.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Short version: It’s ‘about wine’ in name only.
Long version: After getting all these hits on my brief post about the sign for the new Vinology wine bar on Main Street in Ann Arbor, I thought I ought to go, check it out and do a proper review.
The place is nicely but not creatively appointed, with exposed brick and (I know this will be a shocker for you) exposed ductwork. Attractive enough, but that look is really overdone in this town. The place is lit in a sort of cozy fashion, but the place didn’t feel cozy on the whole. The sconce over our table was a nice idea: a box made of brushed aluminum and glass in front of a light bulb. But the transparent box was full of some kind of dried reed or grass and dead butterflies. It totally creeped me out. Plus, the box was too jam-packed with this junk to let any light through. So, creepy and ineffective.
The crowd was mostly 40+. The place doesn’t really have a ‘hip’ vibe to it (how can it when it looks like every other restaurant in town?) and at least during our 8:00pm-on-a-Thursday visit, the crowd there was well-heeled, botoxed and well, mature. The atmosphere is subdued, but not dead or quiet, and reasonably suited to actually having conversations with your dinner companions.
Now, they named the place Vinology, and that set up an expectation in my mind that this place would be all about wine. When our waiter approached our table the first time, he tried to push bottled water on us, and although I said I was looking at wines by the glass, he didn’t make any recommendations or tell me about any specials or anything like that. There was a board above the bar which seemed to indicate there was a tasting flight of Spanish wines, but there was no further description of the flight (or any other flights) and no specials anywhere to be seen (no little signs at the tables or ‘today’s specials’ sheet with the menus, for example). Hmm. Not promising.
The wine menu itself is a smallish affair, organized by various broad categories like Old World and New World (oddly, not by red and white). They use a cute series of icons to help the uninitiated choose a wine: a comic-book POW! for ‘big’ wines, red lips for ‘luscious’ wines, etc. But the choices seemed limited and I didn’t think the menu was well organized. Took me a while to find a Malbec, of which there were only two. I never did find any Cotes du Rhone; I’m sure there must have been some, but I didn’t see them.
We ordered food from the ’small plates’ menu, intending to do a tapas-style, socially-shared meal. When I see ‘tapas’ or ’small plates’ listed on the menu, I assume that the restaurant encourages this sort of group grazing, but our waiter annoyingly kept asking us when we were going to order an entree. The food was inconsistent in its quality. The calamari came well-prepared, in a light but pleasingly crunchy batter. The mini-cheeseburgers were tasty as well, with fresh little buns and sauteed onions. The ahi carpaccio was poor, however; it was either not fresh enough or sliced too thinly and fell apart into mush when you tried to pick it up onto your fork – and in addition, was an exceedingly stingy portion. The smoked salmon on our snack board was dried out around the edges, as if it had sat out too long before getting to us. We also tried a mushroom dish; I’m not sure whether it was supposed to be hot or cold – it was neither when it came to the table – and was nothing special, with some of the mushrooms being too mushy and some being too chewy.
I think they missed a big opportunity with the menu: they have all those cute little wine icons, wouldn’t it have been helpful to feature them on the food menu? Put a little icon (or icons) by each dish, so you can pair up your food and wine easily. But no. I get the sense that they thought up a cool name (Vinology is definitely a cool name) but didn’t really care about actually being a wine bar. If our waiter was well-versed in wine, he certainly didn’t proactively offer any advice (or even ask if we wanted any) and neither the wine menu or the food menu had any particular pointers on wine-food pairings. There were no specials and there was only the one tasting flight mentioned, and then only on the bar board. I find this disappointing for someplace which has set up an expectation to be ‘about wine.’
The final total on our bill was as much or more than we would have spent in the bar at Eve or The Earle for a similar spread. And the food was not as good, the wine list not as extensive, and the service not as experienced or helpful as it is either of those two established places. Unless Vinology decides to be actually more about wine than it was last night, they won’t be getting much more of my business. But I’m sure it will be a hit with the more-money-than-sense crowd that seems to fill up Main Street venues every weekend. Luckily for those of us who like to be able to get a table at The Earle or Eve, those types don’t tend to venture very far off Main Street.
Well, I guess I’ll stick with the Earl for now. But if you even do go back, please let us all know if there is any improvement.
Snooty waitstaff do tend to be a problem around here, at least in some places. As far as I am concerned, it is an instant turn-off.
I work at Vinology. While you may have had an unsatisfactory experience at our restaurant, I believe it was an isolated event.
Vinology is all about the wine. My first question to a table is often “Are you thinking red or white wine tonight?” Many guests are not very knowledgable about wine, and while I don’t claim to be a wine expert, many times I spend 5 to 10 minutes guiding them towards a wine suited to their tastes. We have over 150 wines, so I have always been able to find a wine the guest loves.
I implore you to give our restaurant another try. The wine flight of the week is the flight seen on the chalkboard, which is taken from each Tuesday Tasting. It’s a good place to start your wine experience. And notice that there is a ‘red’ and ‘white’ category for both ‘new world’ and ‘old world’. I always say you can’t go wrong with Old World Red.
The concept of our restaurant is new to this area. We ourselves are still becoming comfortable with the social atmosphere we’re trying to set up for you. It’s a constantly developing process, don’t discount something completely from just one bad experience.
Last night I had a chance to finally try Vinology and frankly I was dissapointed mainly because of the extremely inexperienced server. I was actually given a fork to eat my gelato!!! For that amount of money spent on tapas and wine I expect great service. I have gone to Vinotecca in Royal Oak and had a great time- the waitstaff was extremely knowledgeable re: wine selections and after 6 months I still remember those selections.
Hi yayislife and kris!
yayislife – judging from kris’ comment, it looks like I’m not the only one disappointed with the service at Vinology. I am not saying that you are an inexperienced server, but it appears that at least two of us have had one, and I imagine many more who don’t read my tiny blog have had one too. My server never mentioned wine. Never asked if we wanted advice, never told us about flights, or specials. Nothing. And again: no ‘today’s specials’ card, no mention of flights on the menu, no price for the flight on the board, and no mention of this Tuesday Tasting business anywhere, either.
I really have to beg to differ about the idea that the concept of Vinology is new to this area. Have you visited the wine bar at the Earle or at Eve? Both are places where you can get great wines, by the glass, and terrific food to go with it. The Earle’s atmosphere is dark and cozy, Eve’s is crisp and modern. A solid, extensive wine list plus excellent food in an atmosphere where you can meet friends and feel comfortable – this is not new to Ann Arbor, and you have, at the very least, two very strong competitors for that market. (A few years ago, I would have added Cafe Felix to that list, but these days their kitchen has declined disappointingly and their wine list isn’t anything special. Rush Street is an up-and-comer and partial competitor – not competing so much on the wine thing, but their tapas is great.) Yes, you are, by default, going to get the ‘weenies who don’t venture off Main Street’ portion of the wine-bar-seeking segment, but to win the hearts of actual Ann Arborites, you’re going to have to do better than you’re doing now. And if Vinology is substantially, fundamentally different from the Earle and Eve (aside from decor, of course), then that is simply not being communicated.
Vinology needs more experienced waitstaff to compete. It also needs better communication of its message and its groove to its customers. The first line of communication is the waitstaff, and that is just not consistent yet. I expect that there are more experienced people on staff like yourself, but the inexperienced ones either need to come up to speed fast or be replaced. With prices like Vinology’s, I expect excellent, experienced service no matter when I dine or who my server is. Period. Second line of communication is signage – which is sorely lacking. Yes, the wine list is cute. But it’s not carried through to the food menu, so it loses a ton of its potential. And when I was there, there were no other forms of communication – no table signs telling me about ‘Tuesday Tastings,’ no notes on the menu, no nothing. You signage doesn’t have to be intrusive or extensive – a simple specials sheet delivered with the menu might mention flights or special events like Tuesday Tastings, for example. But it needs to be there to back up the waitstaff’s message.
yayislife, I am happy to know that there is at least one server at Vinology who is ‘about wine.’ I haven’t completely written the place off my list – new restaurants sometimes take time to find their groove and I realize I dined there in the first few weeks after opening. I imagine that the food quality issues we had were the result of that. (Although that ahi carpaccio was just not right and just not a generous enough portion for the price. That’s the one thing that sticks in my mind about my experience these several weeks later.)
If you’re reading these comments, I hope you’ll take them to the powers that be at Vinology. I would love to have a third choice for a wine bar downtown and the potential does seem to be there, even if it isn’t being expressed consistently at this stage. And if those powers that be would like more opinions from this longtime Ann Arbor resident and wine bar patron, please let them know I’d be happy to talk to them about what I think went right and went wrong. laura [add an at sign] mittenartworks [add a dot] com
Vinology has a great Idea’s but they do not fall threw, the service staff knows nothing about the food or the wine. The chef knows nothing about pairing the food to the wine. The chef knows nothing about pairing the food to the sides. They need new mangement bad.
It has been only open a month and they can do the day to day, who wants to waste there money there. They need some comunication to pull them into a strong restaurant instead of a tourist atraction like other restaurants in ann arbor and then they will pull the real foodies out of hideing. I think they are blowing their chance in being some thing diffrent in ann arbor.
I totally disgree with your comments. I visited the restaurant this week and had a wonderful time. The server recommended a flight of French wines (she described 3 flights and I picked the French one), followed by a selection of 3 cheeses that paired very nicely. The wine flight was served on a placemat that described each wine, which was very cool. The wine director stopped by our table and told me about some of the tastings they offer.
A guy I work with went to a tasting in the bubble room and he made it sound really cool.
I think that’s great, Stephanie, and hope that they follow through on educating all their servers. The one I had was not up to par at all. I spoke with a friend at a gathering this evening and she too did not have a good service experience and thought the wine was well overpriced. It sounds like perhaps they may be ironing out some of the problems, but they still have a ways to go.
I really enjoyed reading your review of Vinology. However, it sounds like you “went out for a bad time” the evening that you reviewed Vinology. I’ve seen this before, when people walk into a restaurant or bar with a look on their face that says, “Well, this is going to suck.” You are not alone in this, we are such a jaded culture here in the MidWest with all of the Corporate food depositories flooding into our historic buildings to dole out ice cream and burgers to the masses. But darling, a night out is what you make of it, and those who fail to have fun at the new WINEBAR in town need to start their evening with an open mind and a bottle of sparkling wine.
Disclosure: I work at Vinotecca in Royal Oak, sister of Vinology. I live in Royal and was tantalized for over a year by a sign on a building promising a new wine bar. When the sign went up “Now Hiring”, I thought: wait a minute, discount on wine and free tastings? Sweet!
Your complaints about special cards, printed information, table top advertisements, chalkboards, lend some insight into what went wrong with your visit. Sitting down in front of the computer with a nice bottle of Cotes du Rhone to read blogs…. No, no, no! The enjoyment of wine is enhanced by company and conversation. Dislike the menu? Close it, shove it aside, turn to your waiter and talk. Explain what you like, what you feel like right now, ask for guidance from someone who just tried four new wines a half an hour ago. The secret of good dining out is that you don’t have to chose anything. You really can say, I want a yummy red wine, for under thirty bucks, and some snacks, would you pick them for me? Then, enjoy your company, your wine, your food. You might even learn something about that box on the wall filled with tubes and dead butterflies!
Good dining.
I disagree with your assertion that I was out for a bad time. It was a night out to celebrate with a friend who was going out of the country for a while, and we were all looking to enjoy ourselves, which on a personal and social level, we did. I was excited about having a third option for a night out with wine in town. What you might accuse me of is having too high of an expectation for a new restaurant. I expected it to be better or at least on par with the other two high-end wine bars in town. It wasn’t.
Our waiter was neither talkative nor helpful. He didn’t ‘get’ the idea of tapas, which says to me that he didn’t really understand the menu he was trying to serve and/or wasn’t actually paying any attention to us and what we were interested in. And I am way beyond just wanting a ‘yummy’ wine. I want to be able to talk to my server (or the sommelier) about things like whether the wine is full-bodied or spicy or fruit-forward or tannin-y or whatever. I’m no expert, but I do know a couple things and I expect the server to be more experienced than I am – it’s his or her job! The service (or lack thereof) was an enormous part of why I came away with a less than positive impression of Vinology. The other element was that the kitchen had some problems – the dried out salmon, for example – and stingy portions.
But going back to the premise I wanted to dislike Vinology – my expectations were admittedly high. And perhaps when I go back I can try to not have any expectations. However, looking back at our bill, the amount of money charged reinforces the idea that I was right to have those high expectations. If I’m going to pay those kind of prices, I know for sure that I’ll get good food, wine and service at Eve or The Earle. I didn’t get it at Vinology. Whether you’re overcharged for food and wine or not does make a difference in whether a pleasant evening out remains pleasant when you think back on it.
I am quite sure that I will give the place another try later this summer, after they’ve had a chance to refine their groove, if they’re still in business, of course. But I don’t think you’ll ever sell me on the creepy dead butterflies. Ick.
Now, I get it. Honestly, I wasn’t debating, just trying to get some insight and offer a little advice. Your latest post lends depth to your review. I disagree that “yummy” isn’t a sophisticated characteristic in the realm of wine. I think that you should start reviewing restaurants more often, this interactive blogging is a blast!
For your clear and honest response, I grant your wish:
The Mystery of the Butterflies Revealed!
Butterflies and bees pollinate the vineyard. Without them, no grapes. No grapes, no wine for us to enjoy. Dead bees are even more icky, especially as a display. Also, I think the butterflies at Vinology are synthetic representations of butterflies although I admit I didn’t pause too long before them.
Tonight will be my first experience dining at Vinology. I must admit mild amusement from reading the reviews (both here and published in mags such as Ann Arbor News), and I will not be expecting flawless service and food. I am excited, however, to have the opportunity to visit a new restaurant in transition and report back here.
Having just returned from Greece, I am excited to see that Vinology’s “Intriguing Whites” includes Boutari’s Moschofilero. Moschofilero may be the new Pinot Grigio, not only because of its similar profile (more mineral and lime notes), but because Tony Terlato of Paterno Wines is pushing to popularize Moschofilero here in the states (as he did with Pinot Grigio a quarter of a century ago).
A small plate of calamari, a bottle of Moschofilero, and perhaps a desert. Not a tall order, and I am rooting for the waitstaff on this one. To be continued….
(Hey JB – sorry your comment went into moderation – it’s up now!)
I do hope you’ll come back with your review of your dinner. I’m actually rooting for the waitstaff, too. It’s always best to have lots of good choices around town.
Your lives must be really boring if this is how you spend your time!
I agree with the long review. I dropped by a couple of weeks ago and had the same louzy wait person, no recommendations, put my meal on the bill with a person I was sitting with and never asked me if I wanted anything else after the mail course, which was excellent.
I enjoyed your review and suspect we shared similar experiences. We, too, visited Vinology soon after it had opened, and while I felt that there was much to admire and much to hope for, it needed some work yet to bring everything together.
Our waiter that first visit was a gift: he was at least very knowledgable about the wines and steered us toward two excellent choices. The fries and tarragon mayonnaise that came with our mussels were other-worldly, and I’d gladly return just for those. Some of the other small plates, notably the smoked meat/cheese platter, were less successful.
The Earle has been a long-time favorite, but like you, I’d welcome having more choices for a glass of wine and a couple of appetizers. I’ve been hesitant to try Eve, being somewhat shy of cool, open interiors and having heard mixed reviews, but your recommendation is encouraging.
Welcome, anno!
I’m a big fan of Scandinavian Modern and thus Eve is attractive to me. But it’s not cold or harsh – the bar area even has some comfy chairs and low tables. Give it a try if you’re over there. They have great wines by the glass and the food is excellently prepared and interesting. Last time I was there, they had pommegranate martinis – very tasty, even to this martini purist!
Hey all….
A few insights to the blogs written on Vinology. I also worked at Vinotecca like “a. waiter”, and have suspicions that, he or she, is management, and not floorstaff.
The management, especially the Jonna family, are concered with making money…period.
What you got foodwise is Chef Maggie’s personal assumption that if she does not like it, then it will be not put on the menu. Her berating of staff and menu items, since she is not wine savy, shows that her pairings to match the wines are far off. They use the same menu items in all of their restaurants and do not intend to reflect on what would go best with wine and food pairings. She tried pairing the same garbage in Royal Oak and after the staff went over her head on menu items, she was forced to stay away from Vinotecca and leave the menu to a more knowledgable chef.
The old maxim, “Build it and they will follow” does not apply to the two Jonna family establishments. It should read, “Build it and take their loot because, as P. T. Barnum said, “There is a sucker born every minute.”
Why did Duane leave as wine director at Vinotecca and go to Eve?
Why are the staff at Vinology so uneducated in the food and wine knowledge?
Why is it that 90% of the original staff has left Vinotecca and gone on to greener pastures?
Simple.
The Jonna family does not care about customer satisfaction, just customer dollars.
When anything was said to improve the guest’s satisfaction level, the bottom dollar was analyzed to make the decision. Staff training is on a volunteer basis, no pay involved.When certain customer requests for certain food or wine offerings are put to the cost/per ratio and if they cannot make an exorbitant profit, they are ignored. Staff are forced to work charity benefits unpaid, where the owners will only benefit. And, the owners grossly overcatered to customers who spent megabucks in Merchant of Vino stores, leaving the general public to pay for these excesses.
I have also moved on to “greener pastures” and hope that those of you who are looking for an enjoyable dining experience, will still patronage the Earl and Eve. They have stood the test of time because they do honestly care about their guests and are not concerned with emptying your wallets, as Vinology does.
An extensive wine list with icon-based flavor descriptions is the first sign that this restaurant takes its communication seriously – the staff is attentive, the food carefully planned, and the environs sultry and sexy, albeit a bit loud.
How serious can they be if they don’t then use those wine icons on their food menu? If I didn’t know anything about wine, it would be nice to have some pointers right at hand. In fact, the fact that they don’t give any iconographic clues to food-wine pairings tells me they don’t take their communications seriously at all. Why bother with the icons if you’re not going to use them to their fullest? The whole point of an icon is to be visual shorthand. If they had planned their food as carefully as you suggest, then they would have some ideas about what wines go with it. Why not put it on the menu?!
I’ve been hesitant to try Eve, being somewhat shy of cool, open interiors and having heard mixed reviews, but this recommendation is encouraging.
It is interesting to me to read all these reviews of Vinology (as well as the update at the top of the page) that date from last year. We went to Vinology last night and had the exact experience described here by others–no wine assistance and an embarrassingly inexperienced server. Our server was unable to pronounce many menu items. The food was ok but for a “wine bar” they sure do not offer a lot of assistance in choosing wines. The most our server offered was “this one seems to be popular”. We were also disappointed that only 2 dessert wines (who wants a whole bottle of Port???) were available by the glass and that there seemed to be a disproportionate amount of $300 wines.
i also go vinolgy it good place try there red wine,white wine and french wine and they have lot of varity and the food and service is also good