We recently had the opportunity to sample a small café and wine bar near our neighborhood, thanks to a popular deal-of-the-day website. Needless to say, it is now one of our favorites! Noeteca is an intimate space with small tables, a couple of loungey seats, and a small bar-height table tucked in a corner (we like that spot). They have a page-long list of California and European wines that are predominantly small production type labels and offered in half and full glass portions.
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| what's left of my Austrian "Gruve" |
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| these might have been a Pinot Noir and a Cotes du Rhone |
The appetizers are substantial portions of typical wine bar fare such as cheese and salumi, and check the chalkboard for the evening’s special (we caught their angel hair pasta with meatballs – it was so delicious I forgot to take a photo).
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| the Burrata Plate: prosciutto, salami, burrata, grilled baguette, and seasoned cherry tomatoes |
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| manchego cheese accompanied with fresh apple, fruit preserves, nuts and crusty bread |
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| cured meat and toasty bread... mmm! |
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| sheep's milk and goat milk cheese alongside duck & chicken liver pate |
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| apricot poached in sauvignon blanc goes so well with sheep's milk cheese |
Make sure to leave room for dessert, which we foolishly didn’t. But to our surprise, a little sampling of sweet treats came to our table free of charge. The staff is always friendly, incredibly knowledgeable, and the overall vibe is comfortable. We promised ourselves to come back, even just to have dessert.
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| something fudgey with coconut shavings and a trio of sauces |
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| cheers to our new casual favorite! |
