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Cafe 44 at 44th and France (formerly France 44) serves at cost wine. I haven't eaten there since they ditched the deli concept, but heard the food isn't great. (The grilled chicken salad with bacon at the deli used to be awesome)
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re: mplsmike
Foureyes137
Dec 4, 2007 10:20 AM
It can't be "at cost". It may only be the wine stores markup, but there is a markup nonetheless.
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bob s
Dec 3, 2007 02:02 PM
When MNLawGirl asked this question, I dug up a couple of fairly dated articles from City Pages about corkage policies and half price nights. I decided not to post them because of the fact that they didn't really answer her question.
But since the conversation has moved to these topics, here are the links:
Corkage: http://articles.citypages.com/2001-12-05/restaurants/tempest-in-a-bottle/
Half price wine nights: http://articles.citypages.com/2004-07...›2 Replies-
re: bob s
MplsM ary
Dec 3, 2007 05:02 PM
A bit more recently Dara did an article on Cafe 44 and their $10 corkage fee:
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re: bob s
Foureyes137
Dec 4, 2007 05:44 AM
It may be rather telling to note the number of the restaurants mentioned with inexpensive corkage are now out of business (Bobino, Auriga) while the one noted as "whopping" (Alma) still clips along.
Not that the corkage had anything to do with their demise, rather, just an interesting happenstance.
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Latinpig
Dec 3, 2007 01:44 PM
9 times out of 10 I BYOB. Most places have a corkage of $15 and under. This allows me to enjoy the wonderful wines in my cellar without a 2 or 3 times markup. If you share a little with your server, they sometimes even wave it. Only Giannis and Oceanaire have been opposed to bringing your own wines.
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blowphishery
Dec 3, 2007 11:57 AM
The mark-ups on wine are enough to make a beer drinker out of me. 200% of wholesale and up in many instances. Anyone offering "at cost" would also be featuring a "restaurant for sale" sign is you catch my drift. Considering the climate of gouging, you can do well to pay corkage and buy your own interesting wines by the case. You'll come out ahead, but maybe not as tuned to the menu choices. Heartland wine bar is a very convivial place to drink wines, but certainly nothing close to "at cost" pricing.
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re: blowphishery
Foureyes137
Dec 3, 2007 12:10 PM
This was my question. Considering how much wine figures into the profitability per cover at all restaurants, I could not figure out how this could be as I've never seen a non-profit restaurant in the TC. Perhaps if the restaurant is attached to another business that can offset the bleeding that selling something at cost would create, I couldn't imagine how this works.
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Some of the buzz that surrounded the opening of Chiang Mai Thai a few years ago was that its wine list was both amazingly varied and obscure, and that their wine was (more or less) wine store prices. Checking their web site today shows that, alas, those days are long gone.
Some places do have half-price bottles early in the week. One example is Amore Victoria (1/2 price Sunday through Thursday). Having never been, I can't vouch for the quality of the wines on offer. Other places have a regular daily happy hour. Even the "select" cheap wines at Barbette may still be worth it at only $3 a glass.
However, that sort of thing may be your best option. If you noodle around Thrifty Hipster, you'll find more info on happy hours and drinks specials around town, grouped by n'hood..
http://www.thriftyhipster.com/minneap...
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Barbette
1600 W Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55408Amore Victoria Ristorante
1601 West Lake Street, Minneapolis, MN 55408›1 Reply -
A person used to be able to get a bottle from Solo Vino at Zander Cafe, which is right next door. I'm not sure if it was at cost or if the store's inventory stood in for the store's wine list.
It might be worth it to inquire with either place. But first, decide whether you'd like to eat at Zander. At one time or another the restaurant has bee wonderful, regrettable and all points in between. I understand it's open again and a former chef has been rehired, but I have no current information on whether the service has improved, etc.
I have to say, though, that I love love LOVE the informed, opinionated & welcoming service at Solo Vino. Those folks are just amazing.
