Salute

Salute Wine and Tapas
280 Meeting Street (formerly the Chocolate Bean)
Cary, NC

We were sad to see the The Chocolate Bean go, but at least it's being reborn as a wine and tapas bar. The new Salute has the same owners, so expect the same laid-back atmosphere, friendly service and modern decor of the Chocolate Bean. Only now it's for evening hangouts, not morning.

The boy and I tried several different wines from Salute's by-the-glass wine list... in the interests of reviewing, of course, and really liked what we tried. There's also a nice list of beers for next time!

Salute offers a selection of spicy, salty and mild tapas to eat with your wine. I've mentioned before that the boy and I like appetizers better than meals, and this mixed of flavours and textures in the Mediterrean tapas is why. We received a selection of marinaded mushrooms, thin-sliced spicy Italian meat, olives, and mozzarella balls, enough a large snack or a small meal for two.

The food is great, but don't over order, since Salute still offers the chocolatey desserts we loved at the Chocolate Bean. Overall, the unpretentious but wine-loving atmosphere makes it a great place to stop in for a glass of wine, and let that turn into a second glass... and a bite... and maybe more. I'm a bit sad that I can't stop into the Chocolate Bean for morning coffee anymore, but I can't complain about adding a great wine list to a place we already liked!