About Town : Wine Flights & Small Plates At 13.5
Dramatic light fixtures, orange walls, mod bar stools and a rolling cheese cart are just a few of the bewitching reasons to make a trip to Hampden to check out the 13.5% wine bar.
There is, of course, the wine itself which is plentiful in terms selection (but by no means overwhelming or intimidating) with a menu featuring 40 options by the glass and around 200 bottles. I found the best tasting experience to come from trying one of the flight options. I had the Cali flight ($14) and enjoyed the jammy zinfandel enough to order a full glass.
13.5% is an ideal setting for meeting at the bar for a few glasses of something new and different, enjoying the funky Hampden crowd and letting the workday slowly melt away. The wine list will keep you intrigued plus the staff is friendly and interested in your feedback on each glass.
If you've gathered a group of friends in the lounge, I also suggest enjoying the $5 plate of toast points accompanied by a large dipping bowl of zesty olive oil, parmesan, herbs and balsamic vinegar. From there, explore the tapas-style menu which encourages a variety of tastes including a comforting bowl of Mack N. Cheese, PhD (delicious!) and Napoleon's Waterloo (eggplant, zucchini, roasted peppers and sriracha-whipped potatoes layered between pasta crisps served with cucumber sauce).
My friend Dana, pictured at right with me, suggested 13.5% as a good spot to meet after work and before we were scheduled to hear a sports, coaching and parenting motivational speaker a few blocks away. If we hadn't committed to the event several weeks ago, I sense the only motivation would have been to relocate to a lounge table and drink more wine.
Hip has definitely come to Hampden. Cheers!
1117 West 36th Street
Baltimore, MD 21211
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Reader Comments (1)
I covet that wall... I NEED a wine wall!