Mr. B's - A Bartolotta Steakhouse

The wine list at Mr. B's reads like a love letter to California Cabernet — and if that's your thing, you're going to feel right at home. It's a polished, confident list that knows exactly what its steakhouse crowd wants and delivers it without a lot of fuss. The Award of Excellence it's held since 2002 is well-earned, even if the list doesn't exactly push any envelopes.

This is a California-forward list with a deep bench of Napa Cabernet anchoring everything — Caymus, Silver Oak, Jordan, Stag's Leap, Beringer Private Reserve, Chateau Montelena, and yes, Opus One all make appearances. The 200-350 bottle range sounds impressive until you realize a significant chunk of that real estate is occupied by variations on the same theme: Napa Cab, Napa Cab, and more Napa Cab. Duckhorn Merlot and Far Niente Chardonnay offer some breathing room, but don't come here hoping to wander through Burgundy or explore a Rhône Valley. If you want Old World depth or anything adventurous, you'll need to look elsewhere — but if you want a properly stocked California list to accompany a wood-fired ribeye, Mr. B's delivers.

With 15-25 by-the-glass options, there's enough variety to make a solid choice without committing to a bottle, which is a real plus for groups that can't agree on a direction. The pours skew predictably toward California crowd-pleasers, so expect recognizable names over anything obscure. Rotation doesn't appear to be a priority here — this feels like a stable, set program rather than something that evolves with the seasons.