From time to time, it’s important to branch out of your neighbourhood to try someone else’s local haunts, if only to more fully appreciate your own favourite spots just that wee bit more.  Occasionally, of course, you do run the risk of liking the new place on the other side of town even more than your own, but that’s okay, because eventually, if you’re like me, you’ll probably just forget, so you may as well enjoy yourself everywhere you go.  Yes, this is a little LaLa Logic to liven up your day.  You’re welcome!

Today’s adventure brought me across the city to the newly-ish opened Midfield Wine Bar & Tavern in Little Portugal, just outside of the people’s republic of Parkdale, at Dundas and Gladstone.  Its transformation into an authentic wine-centric drinking establishment is most definitely complete.  The only nosh on the chalkboard menus are strictly there to enhance the core being of the place, which, in case you missed it, is the wine.  Hallelujah!

Of course, that meant it would have been downright rude not to order a cheese platter to accompany our carefully chosen bottle and glass of wines with my gal pals on this hot summer night.  One of the co-owners of the Midfield, Giuseppe, personally helped us to navigate both menus, offering us tastes of the delicious wines before we committed to them, and we were incredibly pleased with the results on all accounts.

It is so nice to see such carefully chosen wines available by the glass in this comfortable, homestyle space, where we were able to relax as we merrily chatted, sipped and nibbled the night away.  Since it wasn’t too busy when we arrived, we even experienced the added pleasure of engaging Giuseppe in conversation, who is clearly very happy with how business is progressing.

The one thing that we struggled with a bit in terms of the decor were the bars on the windows.  Apparently, the neighbourhood is still a bit in transition, so to speak, which means they will remain there for the foreseeable future.  No biggie, really, as they do allow for ample people-watching opportunities of the pedestrian traffic in the summer, so it’s all good.

I have to add a quick shout out here to the cheese platter, naturally.  Not only was it an excellent selection of blue, cheddar, and soft delectable dairy delights from around the globe, but it was also accompanied by little tasty morsels that only heightened their flavour.  I mean, who doesn’t like a few walnuts, dried apricots, and oozing bits of honeycomb to accompany their unobtrusively replenished bread basket?  Simply divine.  Note that the above photo is from another blog, as we devoured ours without a second’s thought to snapping a few photos of our own.  Whoops.

In any case, I should probably get back to my local beloved Swirl wine bar post haste, before they realize I’ve been missing… Okay, maybe just after this one next glass, you know, for the long streetcar ride home.  Cheers!