Got wine?

Okay - I know. It has been a while since I blogged. Sorry about that.
It has been a little busy around here.

Yesterday my college roommates came to visit. We only see each other once a year, and this year it was their turn to come to Albany.

Kate, me, Janean, and Andrea

I decided to shake things up a little bit and take them to try a new wine bar that is in downtown Troy.

Man oh man. This place is fabulous! From the decor, to the wine, to the food, to the beer - I loved everything about it!

The wine bar. Awesome - right?

We arrived at 5:30 and the owner helped us find a table. After looking at the menu for a while, Kate and Andrea decided to get a carafe of red wine, and Kate and I decided to get a beer. Even though the place is a wine bar, they have a nice selection of beers.

The wine arrived in a lovely glass carafe, and the beer arrived in mason jars. Fun - right? I already was in love. They also gave us a pitcher of water and the water came in a wine bottle and we poured the water in little glasses that almost looked like shot  glasses. Totally funky!

We decided to order the "Monger's Choice" which was basically a selection of four cheeses and four meats. It also came with a lovely baguette from the Placid Baker. It arrived on a chalkboard platter like the one in the picture below.

It was all so yummy. Some of the cheeses were even paired with a cookie or chocolate. When you ate the cheese together with the cookie - it was like a party in your mouth! There was also some other yummy stuff on the plate that included oil-infused almonds, baby pickles, olives, and mustard.

While we were eating, the owner came over and chatted with us. Talk about adorable. He is only 37 and he and his wife own the bar. He told us how he decorated the building by driving around Troy and picking up discarded garbage in the alley-ways. For instance, there was a bed frame hanging from the beams above us. Weird - right? But it worked. All of it just worked in this quirky, old building in Troy.

The place had a great vibe. There was great music playing. And if cheese isn't your thing - they have dessert too! It was a great place for a girl's night, and I would also love to go back for a date night with Brian. It was just awesome. I can't say enough about it! I will definitely be returning.