By Lizbeth Congiusti, The Sassy Sommelier

The first thing I think about when I think of February is how cold it is in Chicago.  I am from Chicago and I love the Arizona weather.

The second thing I think of is Valentine’s Day, going out for dinner, chocolate and enjoying a nice bottle of wine.

My idea of wine and chocolate follows everything I know about wine tasting, there are NO Rules, only guidelines to get you started.  Once you get started follow your nose and your pallet.  Your heart will lead you to what you like and what works best for you.

With any food and wine pairing you’ll need to pay attention to both the wine and the chocolate.     Red wine has tannin and chocolate has bitterness.  You’ll want your wine and your chocolate to be at least equal in their tannin and bitterness or even better your wine should be slightly sweeter than the chocolate.

Full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlots and Zinfandels with hints of cocoa marries well with bittersweet chocolate.   “Branham Jazz” is a blended wine with hints of cocoa and coffee, give it a try.

Milk Chocolate works well with Pinot Noirs because of their lighter tannins and essence of strawberry jam.  “Loring Wine Company” pinot noir collection makes an easy to pair with chocolate.

My favorite chocolate pairing is fresh strawberries dipped in white chocolate with sparkling wine or champagne.  “Soligo Prosecco Brut” from Italy has a sweet finish and complements the strawberry and sweetness of the white chocolate.

I learned a long time ago, my picks may not be yours so YOU need to keep tasting wine.   It truly is the only way to learn what you like.

Also, the economy has affected wine drinkers.  We are looking for values, we want to be sure we like the wine before we buy it and many of us are going back to what we know Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay.  Under $20 is the preferred price BUT under $10 is BETTER.

Folie a Deux Menage a Trois a red blend is consistently good and a great price under $8 at Costco.

Bander Cuvee Natalie a blend of Riesling, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc is something you’ll really love as it heats up in the valley.  Usually around $15 per bottle, you can ask your local retailer to order it for you.

By Susie Timm, Chief Operating Foodie

I hope by now dear blog reader, you have figured out that I have pretty simple tastes. I like hearty, delicious food without pretention. I am not a fan of restaurants or ingredients that overwhelm the mind or the palate.

I would not describe myself as pedestrian by any means, however, relative to my business partner Jay, I am pretty vanilla. He likes rabbit and all sorts of random birds and game. He also loves beets and egg on pretty much anything. Give me pork tenderloin or crab legs any day. Simple girl I am. I also like cheese curds and sauerkraut. These are things Jay won’t touch.

There are however, many things we do agree on in the world of culinary. We love champagne, bacon and a perfectly cooked medium steak. We love restaurants with ambiance and that special cozy feeling that makes us feel welcome. Most importantly, we value and frankly, we expect, fabulous service.

Through our features and restaurant reviews, we’ve experienced varying degrees of quality ambiance, food and service.

Upon stepping into our latest review spot, 5th and Wine, I knew immediately, that we would both give it top ratings for interior and ambiance.

I arrived a few minutes after Jay did and he was already propped up on the leather couch, sipping champagne and playing on his laptop. “Good sign,” I thought as I approached him.

I settled onto the couch and took in my surroundings. The place had seen quite a transformation from the dark and cavernous prior occupant “Fine’s Cellar.”

5th and Wine, a brainchild of Rich Sullivan, Patrick King and Tom Kaufmann, does “comfortable and affordable” really well.

There was a great bar to saddle up to and take advantage of 5th and Wine’s outstanding happy hour prices ($5 wines and $3 appetizers).

There were several constellations of red leather chairs, coffee tables and couches to relax, and sip wine.

There were tables for dining and eating a full dinner or lunch.

There was a gigantic outside patio that would be perfect to take in a beautiful desert sunset with friends.

I also really liked the brightly colored dog paintings that grace every wall. It gave the space a really unique feel that was warm and bright. Each table also had fresh and brightly colored flowers in a sleek vase in the center.

I was sold on the décor alone. Now, on to the food!

With my $5 glass of Scharffenberger Brut in hand, we invited Assistant Manager Scott Von Gullbrantz and Manager Scott Yanni (or the Scotts as I like to call them) to sit with us to explain the concept behind 5th and Wine.

Executive Chef Stephen Butler pulled up a chair as well to round out our interview.

These men have a world of experience at various five-star steak places in town from Mastro’s to Fleming’s. It’s these fine dining restaurants that shaped the service expectations for 5th and Wine, but also encouraged them to try another approach to dining.

“This is a fun, relaxed and approachable place. We wear jeans to work and run it at a very different pace,” explained Yanni.

Von Gullbrantz said, “We really wanted this place to be an easy drop-in destination.”

The value and menu pricing was almost shocking. The most expensive item is $19.95 but the average ticket is only $12.

“People are tired of staying at home—they want options and that’s what we are providing,” said Butler.

They explained the food to me as “Straight forward cooking with not a lot of fluff.” Hmmm…sounds right up my alley!

The menu will continue to evolve, but for now it included many plates for sharing including 8 varietals of bruschetta, cheese plates and spicy chicken drumettes.

There are also paninis and salads. The new weekly specials menu boasts chicken pesto pasta, an agave bourbon glazed salmon and a rib eye. All for less than $20.

At this point, I was sick of hearing about the food—I wanted to taste it!

Von Gullbrantz brought us a selection of their greatest hits. Speaking of hits, Von Gullbrantz also hand crafted the overhead music and created a mix that includes John Mayer, Jason Mraz and other mainstream and comforting artists. It was soothing and I always enjoy when I can sing during my supper.

We sampled 6 different bruschettas, the crispy French fries (of Humble Pie fame) and the chicken pesto pasta that featured scratch made pesto sauce.

The French fries were served with garlic aioli and were crisped to perfection. Topped with chili flakes, they had a searing kick. (We returned 2 days later for these fries; they were that good!)

The chicken pesto pasta was tasty, but did not overwhelm. The pesto was strong but I would like to see different pasta other than farfalle.

The bruschetta was varied in flavors and content. The fig, prosciutto, mascarpone and tomato jam was an outstanding flavor combination of salty and sweet.

The apple, Brie, fig jam, honey and agave bruschetta reminded me of a grown-up peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Strange since there was no peanut butter in sight, but the creamy Brie and fig jam were a nice stand-in.

The hummus and saffron oil brushetta was slightly disappointing as the hummus was bland.

I was downright surprised by the delightful roasted peppers, goat cheese and garlic combination as I typically do not like roasted red peppers cold. I will return for this one.

Overall, we enjoyed the food and look forward to sampling more of the bruschettas and sandwiches on the menu.

I think Yanni summed up 5th and Wine pretty well, “It can be your local wine bar, it can be a restaurant, it is versatile will change to fit whatever is appropriate for you.”

For Jay, and me 5th and Wine had great ambiance, stellar service and good food. We most certainly will be found chillin’ in the back on the couches. Champagne in one hand, bruschetta in another, all the while appreciating the value and of course, the fact it is only a few blocks from our office.