Rose Mary

This is what happens when a kitchen with Croatian roots meets a sommelier with serious European wine obsession. The 150+ bottle list reads like a love letter to the Adriatic and Northern Italy, with enough depth in Champagne and Burgundy to keep the Francophiles happy. You don't see Istrian Refošk and Slavonian wines on many Chicago lists — this is the exception.

The Italian section is where Rose Mary flexes hardest: deep cuts in Piedmont (Gaja Costa Russi at $900 if you're celebrating something major), Friuli skin-contact legends like Gravner Ribolla Gialla ($276), and serious Tuscany representation with Isole e Olena Cepparello ($280). The Croatian and Slovenian selections aren't token inclusions — they're thoughtfully curated with producers like Rodića showing the region's potential. California gets some play but takes a backseat to the Old World focus, and the Champagne selection punches above its weight with grower gems like Egly-Ouriet ($300). The only gap? No half-bottle options for indecisive duos.

Eighteen by-the-glass pours running $13-$25 is a solid spread, and they're not phoning it in with the usual suspects. You've got Lambrusco from Medici Ermete ($15), Istrian Refošk rosé from Rodića ($17), and even a Franciacorta from Le Machesine ($18) that shows they're serious about bubbles. The rotation seems static rather than seasonal, but the quality-to-price ratio on most pours makes up for the lack of turnover.