This family-run wine bar/European market, a casually industrial, loftlike space with a dining and drinking area up front and a limited selection of boutique wines and charcuterie items in back, is rough-edged. And that's a big part of its charm. The eat-in fare is just sandwiches, salads, small plates, and large charcuterie platters for sharing. But chef Alfredo Patino is the former chef de cuisine at Bizcaya (the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove's ultra-upscale restaurant), and the sophistication shows in elegant tapas like warm figs brûlée (fresh figs stuffed with Cambozola cheese and hazelnuts, drizzled with sweet-tart aged balsamic vinegar), sandwiches such as the Roast Beefeclectic on fresh-baked ciabatta (with caramelized onions, horseradish cream, and au jus), or a crab cake with smoked coleslaw and dijon mustard cream sauce. Ask about specials, since they may not always be mentioned (but if one is lentil soup, made from the chef's mom's recipe, you want it). In fact, ask for anything, if you notice a cheese or cured meat in the market counter that isn't being used on the menu. This eatery is informally friendly, yet unusually creative, enough that the chef might well accommodate you.
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