No whining about this café

This past weekend we decided to try Tutto Bène wine café because we had heard mixed reviews and wanted to find out the truth for ourselves. \nTutto Bène is a trendy, sophisticated establishment. The exposed brick and ductwork works well with the swanky couches, dim lighting, and enormous semicircular bar to create a relaxed yet exclusive atmosphere.\nDo not let this sophistication scare you away; the staff is friendly and personable. Our waiter was very attentive and made sure every part of our experience was top-notch. Unlike other upscale restaurants and cafés, Tutto Bène is welcoming to students. We did not feel intimidated at any time during our visit.\nSince this was our first time at Tutto Bène, our waiter kindly explained the menu and concept behind the café. The tapas-style food menu is creative and specialized, aiming to compliment the rich tastes of the wines offered. The portions range from small to medium in size. "Tasters" occupy half the menu, allowing for lots of sampling and sharing. We had a difficult time coming to a decision when ordering our taster because so many items looked delicious.\nRanging from a cheese platter to a lamb quartet, the tasters offer something for everyone. We decided upon the Pomodoro ($5), a warm tomato sauce topped with exquisite goat cheese and pesto. The sauce is eaten on top of slices of grilled baguette, almost like bruschetta. The bread was perfectly toasted and the goat cheese, drizzled with pesto, was the perfect accent to the warm tomato puree. If you love Italian food, this taster cannot be missed.\nThe other half of the menu consists of sandwiches, salads and soups. We decided upon two sandwiches for our main course: the Italiano ($7.50) and the Pesto Chicken Salad ($7). Each was offered with a bread choice of whole wheat (vegan), sourdough, Italian loaf or baguette. We paired the whole wheat with the chicken salad and the sourdough with the Italiano, per the suggestion of our waiter.\nWhen our food arrived, the presentation was simple but appealing. The panini-style Italiano was a good compilation of pesto, fresh mozzarella, prosciutto and oven-roasted tomatoes. The flavor was very strong, making it the perfect pair for a glass of red wine. The prosciutto, tomatoes, and pesto are a good combination of flavor, but the mozzarella was weak and hard to notice. Another type of specialty cheese might improve this sandwich a bit, but overall the sandwich was delicious. In no way were we disappointed. \nOur palates were disappointed, however, when we finally tasted the Pesto Chicken Salad. The simple sandwich, as explained in the menu, consisted of roasted chicken breast, toasted almonds, and a hint of pesto. To our surprise, the sandwich also contained celery and was topped with field greens. This surprise ingredient overpowered even the pesto and left us wishing we had ordered something else.\nDo not forget Tutto Bène is first and foremost a wine café, so we, of course, could not leave without sampling some wine. The wine is available in three different sizes: a 2 oz. taster ($2.50 to $3.75), a 6 oz. glass ($6.75 to $10.50), and an entire bottle ($26 to $51). The wine list was extensive, and contained sparkling, port and dessert wines alongside traditional whites and reds. We could not decide whether we wanted red or white, so we had both. We each opted for the small tasters, and it ended up being the perfect amount to accompany our meals. \nBeing wine-illiterate, it was nice to be able to sample so that we were not stuck with an entire glass that could only rival boxed wine. Our favorite of the whites we sampled was the Tolloy Pinot Grigio (Alto Adige, Italy 2003, $3 taster). It was smooth, crisp and refreshing. Preferring sweet red wine, we chose the Stoneleigh Pinot Noir (Marlborough, New Zealand 2003, $3 taster) and the Montes Pinot Noir (Casablanca Valley, Chile 2004, $3 taster). Both the Pinot Noir wines were appropriately bold for the Italiano, but the reds were not complimentary to the Pesto Chicken Salad despite our waiter's recommendation.\nOverall, Tutto Béne offers its clientele a wide array of gourmet foods at very reasonable prices. The wines were priced appropriately for their quality. Our meal was satisfying, and we received three dishes and four wine tasters for a meager $34.\nOur experience at Tutto Bène exceeded our expectations. The wine café has an air of excitement about it; the combination of great food, trendy atmosphere, and welcoming staff makes it the perfect alternative to bustling bars and jam-packed restaurants. And you don't have to be 21 to enter.