David vs. Goliath

One restaurant is a tiny neigh-borhood joint near the U-Dub, unpretentious and casual. The other is a chic downtown eatery, well-appointed and glamorous. What Boat Street Caf頡nd Brasa have in common is that they both serve terrific food—creative, sumptuous, and eye-popping. But one glance at the wine menus reveals where the similarities end. Boat Street, you see, offers an intelligently conceived variety of wines from around the world at prices you’d expect to pay at a supermarket or wine shop. In other words, about 30 percent to 50 percent more than they pay for them. Brasa, as a recent Vine Print column testily illustrated, also makes available a wide variety of wines but absolutely hoses its patrons by tripling (or worse) its wine costs. Dear readers, please support the local restaurants that make you dizzy with their cuisine and not the ones that make you woozy from grabbing your ankles. Boat Street Caf頩s at 909 NE Boat Street (632-4602). Brasa is somewhere else.

Brasa follow-up

A reader sent an e-mail after my recent column about Brasa to relay an experience to me. It seems his father, visiting from New York, was as stunned as I was with Brasa’s wine prices and mentioned it to his waitress, who promptly began an argument with him, asserting that the prices are fair. I can understand they’d be a little defensive, given my column. What I can’t accept is that they’d take it out on their customers. All I can say is that the mark of excellent management is to respond to criticism by becoming better. Brasa has chosen to go the other direction.

Wineglass in your wine glass

No single grape variety has become more popular in the past 10 years than Merlot, probably owing to its Cabernet-like flavors but without Cab’s tart tannins. A fine example is the ’98 Wineglass Cellars Merlot ($18), a wine that offers deliciously creamy black cherry and cassis flavors with just enough tannins to make it interesting.

DENNIS,

After you reamed Brasa for their wine prices, I decided to give them a try. You were right—their food is indescribably wonderful. And their wine prices are an obscenity. Still, I’d like to go back. Any recommendations for how to enjoy their wines?

KIT

KIT,

As I mention above, bring plenty of K-Y. You might also bring your own wine. I’d recommend bringing an older, more obscure bottle—something that doesn’t directly compete with their wine list.

DENNIS

E-mail: wine@seattleweekly.com