JAM: February/March 2004 Issue: Club Profile

Bloozeday Tuesdays at Boozefish Wine Bar
An evening in review

After a full month of holiday hustle, I came to the realization that once again, I had over committed and overspent. I knew what I had to do to get rid of the post holiday depression. Call the girls.

A relaxing evening of jazz, nectar of the gods, and a new venue would be the perfect antidote to holiday traditions. We'd need ambiance. The setting couldn't be pretentious—had to be convenient. Did I mention I overspent?

The Mark Lowery Trio, consisting of keyboardist Mark Lowery, bassist Craig Akin and drummer Mike Shanks perform at Boozefish

Just off the edge of Westport , a warm glow beaconed us through the glass windows at Boozefish Wine Bar. Inside, the decor was sprinkled with postcards and remnants of international travel combined with homage to the grape. Aged wood and stained glass contributed to the warmth.

My friends were assembled for happy hour, ready to test a fresh venue and unwind with a wine stem to the jazz sounds of the Mark Lowery Trio. We started with drinks and appetizers. The hummus was quite possibly the best I've ever had. It was apparent entrepreneur Maija Diethelm based the venue on her wine selection and supported the foundation with complementary appetizers loaded with Mediterranean flavors. In addition, Boozefish offers salads, sandwiches and just a couple of entree and dessert specials which change daily. Maija's method keeps the menu and the ingredients fresh.

At 8 pm , the young Mark Lowery Trio energized us. Their eclectic mix of jazz had an intellectual, improvised feel that wandered from light to Latin to driving fusion. They were never background music and commanded the attention of the audience. By 9 pm on a frigid Tuesday night, the wine bar was half full of younger creative types warming up to the wine and the music.

Before leaving, I made a note of the events on the calendar. Wine tasting was priced quite reasonably at $15 on Wednesdays. Bloozeday Tuesday's are your only day to catch live blues or jazz, while Thursdays now feature acoustical music early in the evening. I must admit I was expecting the acoustics to be questionable but was pleasantly surprised instead. Service was another plus. Our attentive waiter not only made some great recommendations but also offered to take our group picture, and volunteered to split the check out for us.

I learned Boozefish Wine Bar recently reached its second anniversary last October. I'm embarrassed to think that it took me so long to tune in to its convenient location, international flavors and flair, casual elegance, great service, and live entertainment ... all at a fair price. Perhaps my New Year's resolution should be to get out more often!

--Julie Cirlincuina

Boozefish Wine Bar is located at 1511 Westport Road and opens Monday - Saturday at 4 pm . You can find the menu and schedule of events online at www.boozefish.com.