Roe Seafood & Oyster Bar

The list at Roe reads exactly like you'd expect from a waterfront oyster bar — bubbly up front, some rosé, a couple of Chardonnays, and just enough red to appease whoever got dragged here against their will. It's not trying to be a wine destination, and it knows it. At $40 a bottle for several options, at least the pricing doesn't punish you for showing up.

The list leans heavily into the crowd-pleaser lane: La Marca Prosecco, Miraval Studio Rosé, La Crema Chardonnay, Sonoma-Cutrer — these are grocery store aisle regulars, not list-makers. The most interesting bottle in the room is the Ravines Riesling from Finger Lakes, which at least signals someone paid attention to the fact that Riesling and oysters are one of the great pairings in the known universe. The Peppoli Chianti Classico is a curious outlier — a solid Antinori label that feels slightly out of place on a seafood-forward list but isn't unwelcome. Pacific Northwest representation is thin for a Bellingham waterfront restaurant, which is a real missed opportunity given what Washington and Oregon producers are doing with whites and sparkling.

At least four pours are available by the glass, starting at $9 for the house option. The glass program skews toward the accessible and approachable — nothing that's going to challenge anyone, but also nothing that's going to embarrass the kitchen. We'd like to see more rotation and a local Pacific Northwest pour given the geography.