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| - First off, this is a fantastic space. An old 1940's home that has been repurposed into a fun, eclectic neighborhood haunt. The old Vaughn residence actually contains two restaurant spaces. The south section is an indoor seating area & coffee spot for Rollover Doughnuts (the doughnut kiosk itself is right next door), while the north section of the building is devoted to Oven & Vine. I'd been here before for Rollover, but not Oven & Vine. Remember the old Portland's restaurant on Central & Portland? Well, after that operation shut down the owners moved into this space instead. Admittedly part of my delay in coming here was specifically because I wasn't a huge fan of Portland's. The restaurant location was awesome, but the food was overpriced for what it was and the decor just didn't mesh well with the neighborhood (in my opinion). In Oven & Vine, the old Portland's owners now have not only a more intimate space, but one that allows them to be more creative too. I decided to give it a try during Happy Hour on a Tuesday.
When I walked in the main entrance (northwest corner of the building by the way), I was immediately greeted warmly by the bartender up front. On your left is the bar with the beer and wine selection as well as a chalkboard listing the wine of the day. On your right is the sitdown area which is evenly split between high top tables and sit down tables, separated by an open wall with more high top seating in the middle. The windows on the east side of the building can be opened up to the outside with additional bar seating and a very pleasant looking pocket park with adirondack chairs and even a game of corn hole. Today it was 110 outside so the windows thankfully were shut. You seat yourself where ever here as there's no host or hostess. I grabbed a spot at the bar this go around (which offers a great view of the open kitchen).
For happy hour its $2 off wine glasses, $1 off draft beers, and $1 off apps. I started off with a glass of their Force of Nature Red Syrah Blend. I'm a Syrah fan so this suited me quite nicely. The Au Gratin Potato appetizer seemed to be a popular pick among some of the Yelpers so I went with that as my appetizer. The presentation resembled that of a pastry and was delicious from the first bite. They blend of bunch of different cheeses into this rendition and the potatoes were super creamy but firm. Thumbs up for this starter. Their main dishes primarily consist of flatbreads so I decided to go with the Prosciutto Pesto. Liberal amount of pesto sauce covered with mozzarella and pieces of prosciutto. Another tasty creation and I loved the pesto, but have to admit I would've liked a little more prosciutto. There was enough to let you know it was there, but just barely. For dessert, I went with their housemade chocolate torte. It was certainly rich and dense as their menu advertised, though perhaps a tad dry. I've had excellent chocolate tortes elsewhere and while this one certainly had chocolate flavor in abundance, it wasn't as creamy on the inside as I've had elsewhere. Still, a pretty enjoyable dish.
Total cost for the wine, the food, tax, and tip came to about $40. Pricey? Perhaps a dollar here or there. Though I know Oven & Vine locally sources most of their ingredients so I know there's a premium for that. On the whole, I was pretty impressed. The owners of Portland's have improved a bit on their food menu and have chosen a much better space from which to showcase it. During the non-summer months I would absolutely come here for some drinks and some corn hole on the lawn. Most of what Oven & Vine brings to the table isn't necessarily new or something you wouldn't find elsewhere, but they deliver it in a casual, welcoming environment that I feel almost anyone would enjoy. Historical preservation with a personality. Who knew?
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