Red Lobster – Bloomington

Come to the Runcible Spoon for the atmosphere, the eggs, and the coffee — the wine list is an afterthought and the restaurant knows it. If you need something in a glass, the Graffigna Malbec won't embarrass you, but don't build your evening around the wine program.

Cheddar's Bloomington is a perfectly fine place to eat a big plate of comfort food, but the wine program is an afterthought at best and a quiet ripoff at worst. Order a cocktail, order a beer, or bring your own if they allow it — just don't come here expecting wine to be part of the night.

La Una Cantina is a genuinely fun night out — order the mezcal, order the tacos, and don't overthink the wine list because the restaurant clearly didn't. If wine is your thing, this is a cocktail night.

Anatolia is a Wild Card not because the list is adventurous top to bottom — it's mostly not — but because a Turkish restaurant in a college town with 27 glass pours, a Gigondas, a Jadot Pouilly Fuissé, and an actual Turkish wine from Kavaklidere is doing something more interesting than the Caymus-heavy lineup suggests. Come for the food, skip the safe American blockbusters, and let the Kavaklidere or Gigondas do the heavy lifting.

Taste of India is clearly beloved for its food, and it should be — but the wine list is an afterthought that no one has revisited in a while. Order a mango lassi, a Kingfisher if they have it, or save the wine for a restaurant that's actually trying.

Mori is swinging bigger on wine than any casual Japanese spot in Bloomington has a right to, and we respect the effort. The markups and the California-red tunnel vision hold it back from being a destination wine stop, but if you're already there for sushi, there's a genuinely interesting bottle or two worth finding.