Postino

Postino's calling card is accessibility and value. $6 wine by the glass runs daily until 5 PM, and the Board & Bottle deal gets you a bruschetta board and a full bottle of wine for $25 every Monday and Tuesday after 8 PM. But the wine list itself is more serious than those deals suggest. The bottle list runs deep with selections including Rombauer Chardonnay, Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva, Campagnola Amarone, Cascina Adelaide Barolo, and aged Napa Cabernets from producers like Turnbull going back to 1994. A reserve list adds Damilano Barolo Cannubi and Laurent-Perrier Champagne.

The atmosphere is bright, casual, and patio-friendly. This is not a hushed wine temple. It is a place where the $25 deal brings people in and the reserve list keeps them exploring. Wine service is friendly and knowledgeable without being intimidating. The bruschetta menu is designed for wine pairing, and it works.

The $25 Board & Bottle on Monday and Tuesday nights is the best wine-and-food deal in Atlanta. But the real discovery is the reserve and vintage list, which holds bottles that most casual diners never ask about. Come for the deal. Stay for the Barolo.