An Update: 20nine Restaurant & Wine Bar

20nine Restaurant & Wine Bar
255 East Basse Road, Suite 940

in the Quarry, on the side closest to 281

Went back to this very pleasant place in the Quarry last night. In my original review in October 2012, it garnered ratings well above average, and it's become a place my wife very much likes, even if we don't go there all that often. (The traffic, you know, around the Quarry....)

The menu has, in the intervening months, changed substantially. Gone are those luscious risotto cheese balls that I enjoyed so much. Pizza seems to take up more of the menu than it used to (I could be wrong about that, but I just don't think of 20nine when I think of pizza). But the "road trip" wine selections are still there, and still reasonably priced.

I started with an outstanding caprese salad. Lots of soft mozzarella cheese, and the tomatoes were marinated in an excellent balsamic vinegar. After that, I went with the stuffed chicken breast, which may have been from one of those giant Indian fighting chickens that are, apparently, the mascot of MacArthur High School. It was sliced down the middle, but whatever it was stuffed with had come out onto the plate: chunks of apples, mainly, and it was cooked to tender near-crispy perfection in apple cider. A couple of large asparagus stalks completed the presentation.

last city inspection: November 2013
13 demerits
What the ratings mean

My wife's choice was pasta pomodoro, one of those dishes that's hard to ruin but also hard to excel at: spaghetti, tomatoes, a little cheese, and some seasonings. Only the seasonings give the kitchen a chance to shine, and they did well.

Overall, I'm happy with my previous ratings, even if I didn't get my risotto-cheeseball fix.