Chan's Wine World/Cafe

As anyone who has been into Chan's Wine World in the past few months knows, it is now two stores in one. Even though they're located in the same building, they are as different as night and day.

We met a group of friends at the relatively new wine bar/cafe tonight for dinner. The atmosphere was very cozy and inviting, and the wine and beer selection is top-notch. The night started out quite nicely, but the room started to fill up rather quickly, and the good service we had previously been treated to dissolved into what can only be described as average.
There were three servers on the floor tonight. One, although inexperienced, was very pleasant and attentive, and she did a great job of keeping up with all of her customers. Of the other two, one seemed in a big hurry to rush us through our meal, and the other one acted as if we didn't exist. The latter of the two also made us all jump out of our seats when he rather loudly addressed our table.

Of the five of us, three ordered soup, but only two orders were brought to the table. The soup, however, was fantastic: a creamy corn bisque with tender pieces of lump crabmeat.

My meal was brought to the table about ten minutes before everyone else's food was done. I ordered the sushi, which was decent at best. When we had arrived, I noticed the sushi chef pre-portioning all of the rice and seaweed, so all that needed to be done was the addition of whatever ingredients were called for. The roll itself had a good flavor, but it was so loosely rolled that each piece fell apart as soon as I picked it up.

My grandmother ordered the bruschetta, and we were both surprised at what arrived at the table. It was very soupy, and the bread was so thin that it turned soggy and wouldn't support the topping.

The best dish, by far, were the crab claws in a pesto cream sauce.

Only two of us ordered dessert - one was a hit and the other a miss. The raspberry almond cheesecake disappeared from my plate in no time. The creme brulee ordered by a friend was described as "okay, but I've had better." The waiter that served our desserts served one plate to the wrong person and simply dropped my dessert plate in front of me, causing me to dive for it to keep it from going off the edge of the table.

All of the portion sizes were rather small, and for the money, we all felt a little disappointed. The food was good, but we all still felt hungry after the meal. After a meal, you shouldn't wonder what's in the fridge at home.

The wine and cheese shop, on the other hand, has an amazing selection and a knowledgable, helpful staff. The wine prices are very reasonable, and as I mentioned before, the selection is almost overwhelming. I would definitely reccomend going to Chan's for any of your alcoholic beverage needs.

As for the cafe, it wasn't a bad experience. It has a very welcoming environment, and would be a great place to meet friends for a drink after work and indulge your sweet tooth. It's worth going back to give it another shot.

I'll just eat dinner before I go.