got wine?

If not, I have the perfect spot for you - Vino 100 in the Sterling Ridge Village center. They are located adjacent to the Great Harvest Bread Company and right by Kroger.

Vino 100 is a national chain that we are lucky to have in our backyard. What sets ours apart from the competition is owner, Kelly Messenger. This lady knows her stuff! She is a Sommelier and can steer you in the right direction to find that perfect bottle.

The concept is simple, 100 wines under $25!! The store is divided right down the middle - Reds on one side and Whites on the other. How easy is that? Here's more scoop, they feature small production wineries, people who care about what they put out and stand behind their products. You won't find the typical grocery store, big name stuff here. Come in ready to open your mind, learn something and try some great juice that you may never had the nerve to try on your own!

They have a small tasting bar for sampling. In addition, you can pop in and order wine by the glass, relax and forget the day's worries for a while. No snobbery here - take that elsewhere! If you are married to Napa Cabs or just French Bordeauxs, sure they have some of those as well. Also, in the back is the "reserve room". You can find wines over $25 for a more special occasion.

My favorite part is that this place gives me that great warm and fuzzy feeling that I get when I'm in Napa Valley! A nice little tasting room that is staffed by knowledgeable folks who don't mind spending some time with you! They usually have distributors in on the weekends with free tastings on Saturday afternoons - can you say FUN!! Get on the email list to be informed of upcoming events. It's not unusual for them to feature several different visiting winemakers a month. Cost is usually $20 a person which includes the tastings, small bites and information on all of the wines being poured. Not to mention we have made some very good friends as we have been sitting at that long, wooden table sipping wine!

Vino 100 - GREAT place! Go check it out!

La Mesa Grand Opening not so Grand

I was really excited to receive and invitation to the long-awaited Grand Opening of La Mesa. Even though my invite arrived in my in-box less than 24 hours before the event, I still thought they might provide a nice evening! I called, made my "reservation" and waited to meet one of my favorite chefs, Robert Del Grande.

The invite boasted appetizers, cocktails, latin wines and latin jazz in addition to meeting THE Robert Del Grande and Executive Chef Youssef Nafaa. Oh yes, they would have complimentary valet (which is much needed in that area with little to zero parking).

First things first, no valet. They didn't show. We arrived to throngs of people. No one there to confirm a reservation so we fended for ourselves and fought our way through the crowd which included a few of The Woodlands "top brass". We thought we were lucky to have found a table in the dining area bordering the patio. A couple of appetizers were made available by the kitchen if you could scratch and claw your way through the feeding frenzy of folks wanting nothing more than a free meal. Not my bag. Sorry. We waited at our table as there were a few (note the word FEW) servers rumbling about with passed hors d'oeuvres. At least 20 minutes went by before we got a nibble. Apparently certain tables got preferential treatment. The table next to ours had at least 10 people and the wait staff would serve them all, run out of food and never come back to us. This happened time and again. Drink orders also came and went to them, not to us. Frustrating.

As we are not the overbearing, rude types we waited patiently and took it all in. 45 minutes passed before I even received a glass of water. Now, on to the "latin wines". Not stated in the invite was that this was a cash-bar situation. Fine, I'm okay with paying for my wine but trying to get to the bar to order was like fighting your way through a maze with no lights! We thought, "okay, maybe we can get a server to take an order" Hahahahahaha! No way, they avoided us like the plague. Needless to say, I NEVER got a glass. I would have paid for it! Money lost for them.

As this circus was on our last nerve, I look across the patio onto the sidewalk and see the man that I had come to meet. Lonnie Schiller and Robert Del Grande were looking at the patio and walking away - leaving. Where had they been? I am not a stalker and since I dine at Cafe Annie I decided it best to leave him be and catch him at a better time at a better venue.

To sum up the disastrous evening, I have some advice for La Mesa. Organization, planning and clarity are key to running a successful event. Be more clear on your invite, don't ask for people to make reservations as any joe could have attended as nothing was monitored, stand by your promises, if you are going to try to cram hundreds of people in your small space have the adequate staff to serve those people. I've got news for you, just because you pulled in some local judges, Woodlands officers, real estate agents and desperate housewives doesn't mean you will be the "bomb". You have got to put your money where your mouth is so to speak. If you can't provide quality service then you won't make it here.

I hate to write a post like this as the management is comprised of two of the nicest guys you'll meet. I'm hoping this was just a fluke and not a sign of things to come. I'm in your corner, ya'll need to come out fighting!

Try La Mesa Mexican Bistro!

We had another amazing dinner at La Mesa the other evening. This nice addition to The Woodlands dining scene is brought to us by Schiller-Del Grande and Bella Restaurant Group. It is located across from they Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion on the corner of Lake Robbins and Six Pines.

There is no resemblance to it's former entity - Taco Milagro. La Mesa is sophisticated and is perfect for groups of friends looking for a place to chill or for a nice evening out with someone special.

The menu is full of choices all of which stay under the $20 range for entrees. Ingredients are fresh, flavorful and a bit daring. We always start out with the Mexican Ceviche which is chock full of fish, scallops, shrimp and calamari.  Pair that with a crisp glass of Spanish Albarino and you will start your meal off with a smile. I was on a seafood kick last week and tried the Crepe Del Mar which is described as a Corn meal crepe filled with shrimp, scallops, crab meat, spinach and Mexican cheese topped with roasted tomato butter sauce. It was very light and was bursting with seafood! I asked them to go light on the sauce and they kindly obliged. I paired this with a buttery glass of their Chilean Montgrass Chardonnay.  My husband had the Roasted Duck Enchiladas with were covered in a rich, dark mole sauce which contains chocolate! Yum! Where else in The Woodlands can you find food like this?

They boast a great selection of value priced wine that you won't find at every chain you frequent. Happy Hour is Monday-Friday from 4-7 pm with three dollar Beers, Cosmos, Ritas: $1 off on all wines by the glass and their famous Tequila Flights!! The appetizer menu is quite lengthy so you aren't stuck with the typical fair found at most establishments.

Service is friendly and has a few kinks to work out. Sometimes the wait staff can be a little hurried and at other times non-existent but I truly believe this is something that will get better with time. Go give it a try - you won't be disappointed!