Wet Stone
Dr. Ink
When “wet” is in the name, Dr. Ink assumes alcohol is involved and sprints into the establishment like a storm chaser excited by nimbus clouds. Ah, but if only the skies rained Sangria like those made at Wet Stone, the world would be a giddier place.
Located on a quiet block in Bankers Hill, Wet Stone is a wine bar stocked also with craft beers and café flaunting Euro-Latin dishes that hit gourmet heights. Elongated wood high-tops dominate the central layout for communal imbibing. Or if you demand intimacy, a couple of quaint parlor arrangements exist off to the side.
Want to play footsie with a love interest while sucking together on a Sangria-drenched cinnamon stick? Then go for it. The red-pendant lighting at Wet Stone is so painfully dim that chances are great nobody will catch on, regardless of where you settle. Just make sure to bring Coke-bottle-bottom spectacles for reading the paper menus, which already present challenges due to their small, scrunched fonts.
Sangrias wink at you from glass vats sitting on the counter. There’s a white version that we didn’t try, although the red proved bright and succulent sans the proverbial tutti-frutti garbage that has sent Dr. Ink running from many a punch bowl. My two cohorts expressed equal approval as we took turns sipping between the orange slices and mint leaves floating on top. Was there ginger in there too? Priced normally at $7, we got our fiesta fix in a sizable glass for two bucks cheaper.
Drink specials extend also to select wines at $5 a glass, plus six crafty brews for $3 a bottle. The latter includes Palma Louca Lager from Brazil, Racer 5 IPA from Sonoma, and the ultra-hoppy Jamaica Red Ale from Humboldt County, which was originally brewed for the Reggae on the River festival held each year in Humboldt. Like the Sangria, the refreshing bounciness of the red ale (actually caramel brown) left me longing for skimpier apparel in August weather. Though at 6.5 percent alcohol, it embraces you like a mohair sweater after several fast swigs.
My companions in the meantime ordered wine, learning afterward from verbal inquiry that the other vino deals apply only to glasses priced normally at $7. Theirs didn’t qualify. The discounted choices are limited, but they fall squarely into the overly stated category of “boutique.” We’re talking Mueller-Thurgau, an obscure, white German varietal hailing from Oregon; an Argentinean bonarda famous for its spicy violet essence; and a few others that duly escape the retail aisles.
Visitors to Wet Stone would be remiss to totter away without eating. Knock off $2 from the list prices on the abbreviated food menu and behold adequate servings of shiitake flat bread mantled with oozy fontina ($9) or grilled ciabatta served amid spicy Amarillo aioli and parsley-rich chimichurri sauce ($14).
We also grabbed rapidly at garlicky bruschetta fortified with ‘shrooms and capers ($7), which left us wondering if chef-proprietor Christian Gomez made a few culinary romps around the Mediterranean before opening this little gemstone. If so, his above-average non-saccharin Sangria would indicate that he drank well in Spain.
Wet Stone
1927 Fourth Ave.
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 255-2856
Happy Hour: 5 to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday; 4 to 6 p.m., Sunday
RATINGS:
Drinks: 4
The homemade Sangrias are balanced and properly nurtured. Other discounted wine choices are severely limited but they encompass obscure varietals worth exploring. The beer selection is also concise, obliging with six decent craft ales produced throughout the U.S. and in Brazil.
Food: 5
Not everyone comes for the wine and beer, which tells you something noteworthy is occurring in this small kitchen. Dishes are loaded with sturdy flavors and they’re stamped with Mediterranean and Latin influences.
Value: 4
Wines at $5 a glass are par for the course during most happy hours, although the bottled craft beers for $3 a pop are an exceptional steal. Food items are slashed by only $2.
Service: 4
The personable owner usually works the floor, providing non-rushed yet efficient service.
Duration: 3
Hurray for accommodating us on Saturdays and Sundays. But in a perfect world an extra 30 minutes would be added to the front end of weekday happy hours for those who work earlier shifts.
Note about the ratings: Each category is based on 1-5 glasses, with 5 being best. Drinks and food are rated as to quantity and quality, while duration is based on the number of days and hours Happy Hour is offered. Value and service are self-explanatory.
Want to make me happy? E-mail Dr. Ink about your favorite Happy Hour and I’ll drop by with my stethoscope: [email protected].
