Cru Cellars
2506 S. MacDill Avenue
Tampa, FL
813.831.1117
www.crucellarstampa.com
Cru Cellars opened in October 2010 as the brainchild of Jen Bingham, a young, yet incredibly knowledgable sommelier who can help you pick just the right wine, whether you have come in to the wine shop or the wine bar.
The wine bar is a quiet gem at the back of the store. The dimly lit area is a great place to meet friends and enjoy a glass of wine and some cheese. The wine menu selection has some good options for different varietals, mainly ranging in price from $8 to $12 per glass. If there is not something on the menu, stroll out to the shop and pick out a favorite wine or pick something new and different. For a very moderate $7 corkage fee, they will gladly open any bottle.
One of my favorite options at Cru is the Mystery Wine. One many occasions, they will have a mystery red and a mystery white on the menu at a very reasonable price. This is not some cheap wine that they got a deal on, but most likely something that they are trying out. There might even be several choices so describe what you like and they can probably tell you if you will like the Mystery of the day.
Outside of the wine, the menu is limited. They do have a pretty good cheese selection and you can get a cheese plate with 1, 3 or 5 different cheeses. It is accompanied by bread and some yummy candied pecans.
In short, Cru is a great spot to meet friends or enjoy a romantic glass of wine before or after a night out. Come in a meet new friends as the place has many regulars. Ask for Jen and enjoy your time at Cru.
