Dining Out: MBAR

Over the past two years I have really fallen in love with Mystic, CT. In 2014 my college girlfriends surprised me and planned a weekend getaway to Mystic for my 30th birthday. During that trip we visited Saltwater Farm Vineyard, which was a major highlight of the trip for all of us. 

I have been back to Mystic four more times since then (an engagement party, a bridal shower and two weddings) and during my July trip I returned to the vineyard with a friend. We were outside in Adirondack chairs, enjoying chilled glasses of rosé when the vineyard's owner, Michael, came over to let us know we'd have to leave soon, as they were setting up for a wedding. We were disappointed (and he could tell) so he said, "Listen, if you're interested in drinking some more wine after this, we just opened a wine bar called MBAR. You can head right there from here, it will take you less than 10 minutes." Who are we to turn down more wine? 

On that very first visit to MBAR in July we couldn't stay for more than one glass because we had to jet to get ready for the nuptials. I was determined to return and have the full MBAR experience - wine, cocktails, cheese plate and dinner. 

Last weekend when I arrived in Mystic for a wedding, MBAR was the very first stop on my list. 

MBAR is in a space that used to be a gas station. The Hartford Courant wrote an amazing story about the transformation. In that article I learned that Saltwater Farm used to be an airplane hangar! 

When you drive to MBAR, you can park in the spots that used to be where you'd pull up for gas. The gas pumps have been replaced with flower and herb boxes. 

What was once the customer service counter and the repair bays is now home to the wine bar. They have kept the bay doors, which get rolled up in the nice weather. The evening we went it was raining, but can you see how nice their outdoor patio space is. 

When you first step into the bar there is a long counter facing the bay windows. This is the perfect spot to enjoy a glass of wine or a hot coffee in the morning. MBAR is open for breakfast, featuring Intelligentsia Coffee, Kilogram Tea and pastries from Sift in downtown Mystic (review of Sift coming later this week!). 

There is also a L shaped bar facing a wall of delicious wine selections. I sat at the bar on my first visit and found the staff super kind and attentive. 

If you are wondering if MBAR serves Saltwater Farm wines, the answer is - but of course! In fact, they are displayed in a special case in the center of the space. 

On the other side of the Saltwater Farm wine wall is the dining room. The walls are painted ocean blue. 

The blue color scheme continues to the booths, all featuring tufted velvet benches. 

There are plenty of seats for duos or big groups. Personally, I think MBAR is an ideal date spot. 

We were seated in the front of the dining room, in a very cozy corner. 

From our table we could see straight out of the bay door. Though it was raining, the natural light still poured into the dining room. 

Our table was decorated with a small bouquet of wild flowers. 

Our waitress popped over to introduce herself and mentioned they were running a fall drink special, an apple cider sangria. We looked at each other, exchanged a knowing nod and said in unison, "We'll have that!" 

The apple cider sangria tasted like apple pie in a wine glass. It was fantastic! We each had two apple slices floating in our glasses and we saved them until the very end. By letting them swim in the sangria they acquired a boozy taste, while still retaining their crunch. 

We sipped our sangria while looking over the cocktail and dinner menus. The MBAR name is branded into the clipboards.

On the cocktail menu I couldn't help but notice that MBAR was talking a really big game about their Bloody Mary. How could I not at least try it? 

Once we had polished off our sangira, we each ordered a cocktail. The Bloody Mary for me (called the Bloody Miracle) and the Rosito for my dinner date. 

The Rosito was a sparkling mojito made with Bacardi rum and Lucien Albercht brut rosé. My friend took a sip and made a strange face. I asked if I could take a sip and when I did, I felt like I was drinking olive or pickle juice. It was the most unexpected taste. My friend suggested, "Maybe this is why no one puts rosé in mojitos . . ."

The Bloody Mary, which MBAR called the Bloody Miracle, is house-made bloody mix, Tito's vodka and the chef's "delicately spicy secret recipe." Given the major hype of the menu description, I was expecting to be totally blown away. I did love the spicy bloody mix (it tasted a bit like taco seasoning) and the olive garnish, but this still doesn't top my favorite bloody at Sinclair Kitchen in Harvard Square. 

We knew we wanted to sample several of MBAR's food offerings, starting with a charcuterie board. They have a "build a board" section of the menu that includes cheese, meats, veggies, olives, nuts and more. We decided to try the stuffed Medjoul dates, the marinated foraged mushrooms and the English cheddar cheese. Our selections were served with thin, crispy bread sticks and a generous pile of crostini. 

Though it was technically garnish, the crostini was actually our favorite item on the plate! They were thin, crunchy and delightfully salty. They were the perfect vehicle for the sharp English cheddar and the marinated mushrooms. My friend said, "Honestly, I could just eat these toasts for dinner and be completely happy." 

I had never had a Medjoul date before and it was so sweet it might as well have been candy! My dinner date, who is a pastry chef, said, "A lot of vegan desserts are sweetened with Medjoul dates because of that sugary taste." Who knew?! 

After the cheese board we moved onto the MC2 avocado with goat feta, sriracha mayo, pepitas and pita chips. For some reason when I read this item on the menu I was thinking of it like an avocado and feta dip, but when it arrived I had a light bulb moment, "This is their play on chips and guacamole."

The pureed avocado was wonderfully creamy and the pepitas added a nice crunchy texture to each bite. I was worried I might not like a pita chip in place of a tortilla chip, but I really enjoyed it. 

When the summer panzanella salad arrived to our table my jaw dropped. Look at that giant orb of burrata cheese! My friend commented, "It looks like a poached egg, but of cheese." The burrata was sitting on top of red and yellow tomatoes, cucumbers and croutons, all topped with a balsamic dressing. 

I really loved this dish and would happily order it again. I have a serious weakness for burrata cheese.

My dinner date, an omnivore, ordered the naked BLT salad which was organic heirloom tomatoes, bacon, avocado, Bibb lettuce, shaved onion and Roquefort cheese. I just drooled a little typing that. 

Several bites in she said, "This is a really generous and hearty portion. The bacon is hand cut into fatty cubes. Everything tastes super fresh and goes really well together. I don't normally love tomatoes, but I'm loving these. Somehow it's like they mashed up avocado, tossed in some sliced onions and then spread it all over the salad so that you taste both of those components in every single bite. You bite into a tomato and avocado comes out!" 

We were both eager to try the mac and cheese, made with Tallegio and double cream. After just one bite my friend declared, "This is the best mac and cheese of my life. I don't know if it's the wide rigatoni noodles or the combination of the cheeses or the crunch of the breadcrumbs, but this could be my last meal on earth." 

I would have to agree! Once I started eating the mac and cheese, I couldn't stop. I tried to put my fork down several times but I just couldn't bring myself to leave even one cheese-coated noodle behind.

For our final dish, we shared the pomme frites with house ketchup. I am not quite sure what was in the ketchup, but it almost had a curry taste to it. We both agreed the fries were good, but not great. 

Though there were dessert options, we were entirely too stuffed to even look at them. 

As we walked out we noticed the glowing M above the old gas pumps. Somehow we had missed that when we walked in a few hours before. 

There is also a sign, a few feet closer to the curb, that glows in the night sky like the bat signal. 

I had been waiting to enjoy a meal at MBAR since July and I am so glad I could return to have the full experience. I love the design, the atmosphere, the friendly staff, the impeccable wine selection and the incredible savory food. If you visit, you must create your own charcuterie board, tackle that ball of burrata and dig into the mac and cheese. 

Keep up with MBAR on their Facebook page. Warning: may cause hunger pains and drooling at your desk.