Location Review - West End Wine Bar

Location - West End Wine Bar (601 W. Main Street, Durham NC)

Overall Rating: 3

Food: 3

Drinks: 5

Service: 3

Atmosphere: 3

Recommended for: First dates, drinks with friends and family.

Interestingly enough, when I went to West End a few weeks ago for a first date, I asked my date if he had any favorites on the wine list as he had chosen the date location (and also because he wasn’t making conversation). His response was that he doesn’t like wine, and he proceeded to order an Italian beer.

I know.

Anyway, it was a nice night, so I asked if we could sit outside. There were two other groups seated outside; one, a couple on a date (clearly not a first date, as they proceeded to make out a little bit later – though, I do suppose it could have been an AMAZING first date) and the other a pair of friends catching up. The PDA going on next to us was a little distracting, but it’s definitely not West End’s fault. Generally, I enjoy people watching when I’m out in Durham. Really, it’s one of my favorite pastimes anywhere, but there’s almost always something or someone fascinating to watch in Durham, more so than other places.

Except there is never any good people watching to be had at West End.

This has been my chief complaint in going there over the last few years. I love wine, so I want to love West End. Their hummus plate is pretty decent (it’s not the best I’ve ever had, but I generally don’t go to a wine bar for food; it’s good and gets the job done, keeping me satisfied without stuffing me so that I still have room to enjoy my fourth second glass of wine) and I’ve enjoyed a few other small plates there from time to time. They have a great selection of wine and I always get to try something new. But for whatever reason, the people who frequent there (except for my fabulous group of friends and myself, naturally) are just…well, they’re there. And that’s about all I can say. I can’t relate one funny story (that my friends and I didn’t create ourselves) or recall one funny moment I witnessed at West End, and while I know that those things are far from requirements for a first date, it is nice to have a decent crowd of interesting people around to comment on, in case the date goes south. I also can’t recall meeting and talking to any interesting people there, which if nothing else is a given in almost any bar or night spot in Durham.  I’m not sure why people don’t frequent it more, but there seems to be a drought of young and lively folk there. Sigh.

However, I do know that I will periodically go back anyway, hoping, wishing, dreaming that I will find amazing wine AND a lively time in one place.

So, I give West End three stars out of five. It is by no means a bad place for a date, but it’s not particularly noteworthy or amazing either. (Especially if you don’t like wine!)

Location Review - Pop's

Location: Pop's (603 W. Main Street, Durham NC)

Overall Rating: 4

Food: 5

Drinks: (didn't try any)

Service: 3

Atmosphere: 4

Recommended for: First dates, second dates, casual dinners with significant others, meals out with friends and family.

For a second date, I recently went to Pop’s for a Sunday night dinner (6:30pm). I was excited to go because, I am ashamed to admit, I hadn’t been since they moved locations two years ago. Parking was easy (my date scored us a spot without having to circle), and the location definitely has curb appeal.

Inside, the hostess asked us if we’d like to sit in the dining area or at one of the high tops in the bar section. My date deferred to me, and I chose the high top because it was next to the window and had a pleasant view.

My entrée choice was the gnocchi with duck meatballs, and it was fantastic. The gnocchi was good, but what really delighted my tongue were the meatballs. Not always a huge fan of duck, I was very happy to discover this was delicious. (My date went with the salmon, but we weren’t at that “level” where I was going to ask to try his food, though the thought briefly crossed my mind. He seemed to love it, and didn’t leave a bit on his plate, so I’m going to assume it was equally as good as the gnocchi and duck meatballs.)

Being a Sunday night and having gone out with friends the night before, I opted to pass on having wine with dinner, so unfortunately I don’t have anything to say in that department. Perhaps a future date (sadly, with someone else – we lacked a “spark,” which I use as code for “anything to talk about”) will afford me this opportunity?

The atmosphere was pleasant, though not particularly romantic, which was fine by me as it was only a second date. The walls were painted red, which seems a bit obvious for an Italian restaurant, but it did look nice. Because it was earlier in the evening, it was very light out, so that may have contributed to the casual feel. I think it might have felt a tad more intimate if I had chosen a table in the main dining area rather than the bar. The bar was great in that it had a lovely view and there was a TV so I could glimpse college basketball highlights between the long and boring pauses in conversation as we focused on eating rather than talking. The huge drawback of sitting at the bar is that it’s right next to the open kitchen, so there is a TON of noise. I sometimes have random hearing trouble, so when that was combined with a soft-spoken waiter, it made things a little difficult. Plus, it’s hard enough talking on an awkward second date, so it would have been nice to be somewhere a little quieter. Oh well, you live and learn, and I take full responsibility for our seating choice.

It was a great meal, a good location, and has good date seating options, even though we didn’t take advantage of them. I would give this date location four out of five stars.