Two Stars For Noir's "Wine-Geek Heaven"

Today its really all about the wine which explains why SIV spends at least half of her review touting Noir's offerings before delving into the food, almost as if it were an afterthought. Although, right off the bat she does say Noir is "just as inviting as any wine bar in Paris, and with better wines and better food than most." Okay, we'll take it. And while the wine bar trend has hit critical mass, "Noir is notable for the extraordinary breadth and depth of wines on offer." Getting back to food, "it's mostly Mediterranean, with the occasional New Orleans accent. And while the menu is limited -- it's a wine bar, after all, and the cheese and dessert programs both could use some polishing, Noir is a happy addition to the neighborhood." Most dishes satisfy, but cheeses are "generic" and there's a "oddball" banana's foster that doesn't do the trick. Overall the small plates concept actually works here, but at the end of the day "the wines drive everything...every menu item has a wine suggestion listed. And it's a thoughtful one, making Noir a sort of wine-geek heaven." [LAT]

Elsewhere Around The Blogosphere: Eat:LA digs Wurstkuche, Eating LA checks out Vietnam Restaurant, Food GPS gets his dose of vitamin P at Don Dae Gam, KevinEats hits up La Botte, la.foodblogging revisits Jazz Cat Cafe, and mmm-yoso!!! samples the wares of Mariscos El Pescador.