Sun 07.13.08 - This weekend my Dad was in town visiting from Arizona, actually more like escaping the 110+ degree temperatures in Parker. On Sunday he wanted to go to Casa Vino on Pine Street in Downtown Long Beach for a light supper and wine.
I have known that this wine bar has been in existence for over two years, but have been very reluctant to go there, as the menu on the website was/is very unfriendly to gluten-free folk.
We did go and I was able to find a few of the tapas that were free of at least overt gluten. In the above shrimp dish, my dad ate the bread and I ate the spinach & shrimp.
The wine was good, not as pricey as the reviewers on Yelp would lead one to believe. The staff was friendly and down home. The only thing that bummed me out was the menu and the fact that everything was pre-prepped, pulled out of a ziplock baggie, and then heated up by the staff fellow doing the duties in the kitchen.
If Casa Vino's emphasis is wine, fine. But it would be lovely if they had a menu that was cooked fresh, was seasonal, and had more true Spanish tapas offerings.
The space was lovely and comfy even though with thoroughly modern interior. Another fine addition would be free wireless internet (wifi) for the happy hour crowd.
Leave a comment