Humble Wine Bar

On Wednesday evening, "R" and I attended the Friends and Family Night at Humble Wine Bar in Lakewood. They officially opened their doors for business yesterday, and I personally feel that this is a great addition to the neighborhood.

Owned by Dan Deagan of Deagan's Kitchen & Bar, just a block down the street, this space is the yin to Deagan's yang. As Deagan's is cozy with dark woods and color scheme, Humble Wine Bar is bright, airy, stark white, and full of light. Garage doors open up to the patio, white tile surrounds the gorgeous pizza oven and walls, and the restaurant is full of light wood tones. There is such attention to detail in this new space, and some really creative touches. I absolutely fell in love with the wine bottle chandeliers.

For the soft opening party, servers were wandering through with an assortment of pizzas and a meat/cheese board. We tried a few different slices, but my favorites were the Mushroom and the Chicken Pesto. We stayed away from the classic Margherita, as we wanted to try the more unusual ones (like Clam), and I did not get to try the Lardo. The strawberry dessert pizza was also very good, but it wasn't listed on the menu that we saw. Maybe on a separate dessert menu?

They have a good wine list, with reasonable prices by the bottle. We noticed one of our go-to bottles at a much lower price than we've seen at other restaurants. Deagan's is known for their craft beer selection, and that did spill over into the Humble Wine Bar drink list. The list is shorter, but they have selected some really good ones. I also heard a rumor that there will be a "secret beer list" that you can request from your server. Shhhh...

I decided to try two of their signature cocktails while we were there. I first had the White Sangria. It stated that peach schnapps was in there, but there was no peach flavor at all. Maybe it needs a heavier hand, because I think that would taste delicious in a sangria! Then, I had the Bee's Knees. I'm not usually a gin drinker, but this cocktail was light and refreshing with only a hint of gin flavor.

The menu is limited to a variety of pizzas, a few small plates and antipasti, cured meats and cheeses, and salads. I think too often restaurants try to bulk up their menu to include too many offerings. Simplify it, do it really well, and you'll succeed. I think Humble Wine Bar may just have it right.

My only real complaint? The dining room is mostly high top tables and bar seating, and the chairs/tables are just not made for short people. At 5'3", my feet couldn't reach the bar on the chair, and there was no ledge or foot rest on the tables or at the bar. After sitting there for a while, my legs just started to hurt from the dangling. A common problem. It's also really, really loud in there right now. I hope that some sound proofing elements will be added quickly. Tin, concrete, tile...it all leads to an elevated sound level when the restaurant is full.

Personally, I can't wait to grab a few friends, a bottle of wine (or two), some pizzas, and settle in for a fun night out.

Humble Wine Bar
15400 Detroit Avenue
Lakewood, OH 44107
216-767-5775