Scenes from Bordeaux “After-Work” Party

Between work, travel and living in Ottawa for the summer, I’ve been missing the Bordeaux After-Work Party events that have been taking place in Accordion City all year. I’ wish I could’ve made this one at Marben:

Or this one at Eight Wine Bar:

However, on Monday, October 24th, the date of the final one of the year, my schedule was wide open and there was no way I was going to miss it.

I like Crush Wine Bar, where this event took place. I’ve been going there for years, both to simply have some wine and cheese at the bar in the front as well as to have a full meal in the larger room in the back, and for reasons ranging from business to dates. They’ve been preparing continental bistro food in the same consistently good way over the years, and I’ve come to think of them as an ever-reliable spot for an evening out. For a party like this one, it’s a natural fit.

For the Bordeaux After-Work Party, they cleared the large tables out of the dining room, replacing them with smaller stand-up cocktail tables and win serving stations. Even with the extra room gained by this arrangement, the place was packed pretty solidly – easily 200 people – not bad for a Monday night.

For this event, they served six wines: three reds, three whites. I’d give you more details, but alas, the brochures are at home in Toronto, and I’m in Chicago as I write this. I stuck with the reds and one in particular caught my fancy. I’m going to have to check my hand-written notes when I get back at the end of this week.

Crush complemented the Bordeaux with great appetizers. I was pretty fond of the sliders and selections from their charcuterie plates. These guys do food wonderfully, and I was only too glad to return a couple of weeks later when an old pal from high school took me there for a birthday dinner.

The crowd were a lively bunch. They guys appeared to have come straight from work, which a number of the women looked as through they’d managed to change into something more suitable for a cocktail party, and both were a chatty bunch. I struck up a number of conversations and even played a couple of requests (of course I brought the accordion!) and exchanged some business cards, email addresses and digits. If you’re looking to make friends, acquaintances, business contacts and accordion fans, the Bordeaux After-Work Party’s a pretty decent place to do so.

I’m looking forward to the next one!