Into the Glass

Grapevine, Texas has a seriously cute main street with lots of great restaurants, wine tasting rooms and boutiques. One of the best restaurants on Main street is Into the Glass. It has a wine list about a mile long with the best descriptions on the planet. Nothing is "Full Bodied" or "Blush", it's "Intoxicating" or "Misinterpreted", which can be kind of intimidating if you don't know much about wine, but the bartenders and servers are always will to help out! This informality and playfulness extends to their food. Everything is centered around comfort food with a twist (e.g. Mac and Cheese with truffle oil, Meatloaf Sandwich with some seriously good creole mayo and something incredibly spicy). The chef should be on Top Chef...he is pretty creative when it comes to combinations of flavors. Stuff that sounds absolutely horrible is just incredible (see below)! J and I seriously love this place because of its food, wine selection in our budget and cute, hometown music acts that perform most nights we've been.

Set in a building full of history and on a sidewalk with loads of people, Into the Glass attracts a fun filled crowd. It's always busy and I mean always. We have never walked in to an empty room, albeit the restaurant is tiny, it's always packed. I promise, however, that the food and ambiance is well worth it. If you can, sit outside on the sidewalk, take in downtown Grapevine, and relax with a great glass of wine. If you want something a little different, ask for the Brie and Chicken nachos...it's got a great mix of tasty cheese, dried cranberries, and amazing chicken!

The service leaves a little to be desired, which is kind of confusing as the restaurant is tiny and only really seats about twenty, but the food makes up for it. There isn't a lunch menu either, so expect full prices at lunch. Their main gig is wine, so if you do order an entree, expect a longer than normal wait. This is not a place to come in a hurry, but the atmosphere and ambiance make it a fun place to hang out.

This is a great date place, but be aware of the noise level if you sit inside. Since it's a small building, the noise from whatever musician they have that night can be a tad loud for good conversation. The romance of the place can easily be recaptured if you sit outside or go sit towards the back of the room!

Seriously, it's worth the drive, if for nothing else than the wine, the nachos and the amazing setting!

We score Into the Glass a 4.5 out of 5 for food and a 4.5 out of 5 for twenty-somethings.

Highlights:
- Chicken and Dumplings (more like gnocchi than anything)
- Red Zins
- The owner, Wayne Turner...he is a hoot!
- Truffle Oil Mac & Cheese
- Brie and Chicken Nachos
- Grilled Shrimp BLT
www.intotheglass.com