By Dr. Ink 
“What do you think is in this Sangria?” I asked my drinking cohort who lived in Spain for three years.
“Not sure, but it has a deep prune-y taste,” he replied as we noted its intense sweetness, inky red color and exceptionally generous pours sitting in our globe-shaped stemware.
On Saturdays at Cueva Bar, the happy hour special points directly to seasonal, house-made Sangria, available for $5 a glass. It’s served with complimentary tortilla chips and thick, zesty salsa made on the premises by chef-owner Oz Blackaller. It turned out that Blackaller’s wife, Joanna, concocted the current recipe for this Spanish commingling of wine and fruit. Although here she used an anomalous blend of red wine, molasses, wine-based Triple Sec, blackberries and dates. The latter ingredient is what obviously tipped off my friend’s palate upon first sip, which indeed added a raisin-like quality to the drink. Fans of Port and old-vine reds will easily embrace its cloyingness.
Drink and food specials vary throughout the remainder of the week (except on Sundays, where a happy hour is not offered). They feature $2 off all beers (bottled and drafts) plus $6 flatbreads on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Visit on Tuesday or Thursday and savor $5 wines by the glass (red or white) along with $5 tapas.
New to the program is a second late-night happy hour on Fridays resuming that day’s deals while also pulling in the tapas menu. In addition, Blackaller increased his beer taps from three to eight this week, giving customers broader pairing possibilities for his South American-inspired chow, all served within cozy confines that welcome you with burnt-orange walls and rustic décor. The name “Cueva,” by the way, is Spanish for “cave.”
Having been a fan of Blackaller’s coco flatbread with walnuts, dried cranberries and Asiago cheese, I was thrilled to see it make the tapas list throughout the weekdays. The creation breaks the mold of all other flatbreads served around town, striking a sweet-and savory outcome that matches better to beer and medium-bodied vino than it does heavy Sangria.
Of the newish tapas we sampled off the Saturday menu, a smashed red potato topped with olive tapenade would have been livelier if draped with a piece of Spanish ham or prosciutto. Although an order of potato skins broke into a hat dance when swiped through the marvelously spicy house aioli. Other nibbles you’ll find along the way include dates stuffed with bacon and goat cheese, olive tapenade quesadillas and baked pita with veggies.
In keeping with its Spanish ambiance, the softly lit Cueva Bar demands you hang a while over sips, bites and intimate conversation.
RATINGS:
Drinks: 4/5
If you’re a sweet tooth, behold the house Sangria infused with molasses, dates and blackberries. The bar has also increased its tap beer selection and offers wildcard wine choices of global origins on certain days of the week.
Food: 4/5
The coco flatbread with cranberries and Asiago cheese is a winner!
Value: 3/5
Depending what day of the week you visit, savings average a couple of bucks on booze, tapas and various flatbreads.
Service: 4/5
In keeping with the bar’s neighborhood feel, the owners extend warm welcomes to patrons while providing casual, unpretentious service.
Duration: 5/5
There’s no need to rush in here on Fridays should you get snared in rush-hour traffic. As of this week, a second late-night happy hour has been added, and we like the fact that deals exist on Saturdays.
Cueva Bar
2123 Adams Ave. (University Heights)
619-269-6612
Happy Hour: 5 to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, with the addition of 10 p.m. to midnight on Fridays.
