August 3, 2007

Ay, Bouquet Lindo

Wine 69 Wine Bar Opens

You love your dive bars. The dimmer the lights, the sketchier the bathrooms, the better.

Of course, roughing it does have its disadvantages: no one you’d even think about leaving with (or even wanting to see in the daylight) and next day’s ashtray hair.

Let Wine 69 be the yin to your cheap G&T yang. The wine bar just opened along the construction hellhole that is Biscayne Boulevard, so after braving the gravel pits and puddles, you’ll need a glass (or three) from the cozy spot’s extensive collection.

Owner Ben Neji says he’s been drinking wine since he was a kid (it’s okay, he’s from France), and he’s stocked the bistro-style space with more than 200 bottles, many of which come from small-production vineyards around the world.

Be sure to order a few plates from the menu, such as the baked brie with caramelized onions, candied walnuts, and apricot preserves; or the spinach, goat cheese, and tomato quiche.

And the bathrooms? They’ve even got toilet paper.

Wine 69, 6909 Biscayne Boulevard (305-759-0122).