NVM Review

By Warren Rojas

What’s a frazzled mommy to do when she’s got wine on her mind and a fussy toddler buzzing about?

Beeline for Twisted Vines’ stroller happy hour, of course.

“The first time, we had 30 moms with kids. It was a zoo,” one barkeep says of their mommy-and-me mixers.

Attendees can cool their heels in rotating wine flights (white, red, sparkling) or seasonal pours (mulled wine, sangria). The master wine list touts broad categories (fruity whites, crisp whites, fruit-forward reds, spicy reds) rather than vintages, and tends to favor global risk-takers (Fondo Antico Grillo Parlante, Arizona Stronghold Nachise, Stark-Condé Three Pines Cabernet Sauvignon) and gutsy locals (Thibaut-Janisson Blanc de Chardonnay, Sugarleaf Vineyards Petit Verdot, Mountfair Vineyards Belated).

And while adults should keep the grown-up grape juice to themselves, there’s no reason kids should be precluded from enjoying a tasty nibble or two.

Sliced-for-sharing stromboli reveals robust bites of spicy soppressatta, sweet peppers, grassy leeks and salty cheese.

Gorgonzola-filled meatballs bounce from Italy to Latin America with the help of smoky-sweet, roasted corn-tomato salsa.

The croque monsieur is shaken up as well, its Texas toast-sized slices soaked through in nutmeg- and mustard seed-laced béchamel, while honey sweetened ham and nutty Swiss make nice inside.