Wildair

A cozy L.E.S. neighborhood gem serving shared plates of “New American” cuisine and well-made cocktails.

The Deets

Apparently, Wildair is Contra’s little sister. Interestingly enough, this restaurant is on my hit list, so stay tuned for a blog post. While Wildair is technically listed as a wine bar, I mostly leaned into the cocktails. I’ll have to come back for round two to try a few more menu items and their wine selection. And per usual, I recommend making an OpenTable reservation and scoping out the menu ahead of time.

The Spritz (featured in the picture of the tartare) was the perfect aperitif cocktail to kick dinner off! And we started dinner sucking down some delicious oysters. I know this is so cliche, but they just taste like the ocean. I don’t know any other way to describe them. But these Oysters had a unique flavor because of one particular ingredient.. the Meyer lemon vermouth.

I love my whiskey cocktails, so I switched over to the hard stuff opting for the Boulevardier cocktail (featured in the picture of the oysters).

Just one women’s opinion, but I think a pinot noir is an optimal dinner wine. Couldn’t remember this off the top of my head, but according to our receipt, my cousin had the Pinot Noir Basis by Enderle & Moll (2020).

The Scallop Crudo was surprisingly zesty but also had hints of horseradish for spice and capers for a nice salty bite. Just an FYI… I f*cking love capers! My only pet peeve to point out here is a shared plate that offers an odd number of food items. The Big Eye Tuna may not look appealing if you’re not into raw things, but I promise it was so yummy. My cousin enjoyed the White Mezcal Negroni (featured in the picture of the scallops), and I have to say, I kinda liked the sip of sweet smokiness that I tried. While the Pan-Fried Skate Wing wasn’t completely new to me, it isn’t something that I order often when eating out.

Food For Thought

Dating seems to be a hot topic for table talk these days. All of my friends (both guys and gals) are struggling out here. Here are a few of my takeaways from this conversation in particular. Remember that you are the prize. If someone is meant to be yours, everything will fall into place on its own. Now, more than ever, I firmly believe that if someone really wants to be with you, you won’t have to chase them and everything will just feel right.

“Love may not come easily, but it should come naturally.”
-Yours Truly

Don’t settle to be with someone just for the sake of not being single. Every day that you waste with someone who is just not your person is another day that you’re not finding “the one.”

Last Words

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my dining experience at Wildair. The atmosphere was cozy and inviting, with dim lighting and rustic decor. The menu offered a variety of delicious options and the portions were generous… Even for shared plates. The service was top-notch, with our waiter and the host being so attentive and knowledgeable about the menu.

Foodies should expect to spend about $100 per person, while other patrons who enjoy a cocktail and just two or three shared plates might spend about $65 each.