Restaurant review: Wine Down amping things up in Ooltewah

Wine Down's Caesar salad ($8) starts with a colorful bed of romaine lettuce and kale leaves and adds a hard-boiled egg, capers, shaved parmesan and a house-made Caesar dressing.

Braised short ribs at Wine Down in Ooltewah are served atop mashed parsnips, with heirloom carrots and a red wine/tomato braise ($15).

When I first started working at the paper eight years ago, I was assigned to cover the Ooltewah/Collegedale area. While I was acutely aware of how removed it was from all the goings-on and growing options of downtown, I sometimes found myself thinking, "I could live here!" It seemed idyllic, with a sense of community all its own.

Fast-forward to now: The area is becoming a hubbub of activity in its own right. Multi-use developments are bringing new people - and options - to both Collegedale and Ooltewah. What was envisioned as a model for the city at the Waterside development, located at the edge of the hustle and bustle of East Brainerd, is working a few miles down the road, situated in a vast stretch of once-open land beyond the edge of those small towns. I'd heard so much about Cambridge Square and its growing list of tenants, which include Wine Down, a wine bar and restaurant, I had to check it out for myself.

THE SPACE

For some reason, I expected Wine Down to be much bigger than it is. Perhaps it was the number of articles I'd read or the thousands and thousands of "likes" and check-ins the restaurant has garnered on its Facebook page in the seven months it has been open. Though small, it's not at all cramped, and there's a back room for large parties.

We got there around 6 p.m. It was a Wednesday, and the restaurant was nearly full. Laughter and increasingly loud dinner conversations reverberated between the rich, almost cherry hardwood floors and high, open ceiling crisscrossed with exposed ductwork. More people began steadily trickling in about 30 minutes later, forming a clump near the door as they sipped on happy-hour wines. The décor was sparse; the wall hangings Americana-inspired and the color palette neutral. The space overall felt simple yet subtly attractive, leaving the focus on the menu.

THE MENU

There's a smattering of everything you'd expect to find in a higher-end restaurant downtown: ahi tuna, reimagined Brussels sprouts, pork belly, pasta, truffle fries, exciting-sounding chicken combinations. Probably the most unique-sounding dish is the duck poutine ($14), featuring the Canadian staple of fries covered in thick gravy and topped with cheese curds, elevated with the addition of duck breast from Maple Leaf Farms. I was especially drawn to the balsamic chicken ($14) which pairs it with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, mozzarella, quinoa pilaf and a balsamic reduction. Our server confirmed my intuition by sharing that it was one of her favorite dishes. Still, I opted for her other favorite, the braised short rib ($15).

THE ORDER

We started with Crispy Brussels ($7), a holdover of mine from childhood. These were even better than Grandma's. They were infused with the scrumptious grease and crunch of bacon and topped off with a hint of whole-grain mustard softened by crème fraiche. Though this combination is slightly different than similar preparations I've had elsewhere, it still had that same almost overpowering saltiness, which I find myself craving but also worried about.

We also opted for the bruschetta ($13), a unique-sounding combination of olive tapenade, artichoke caponata, fire-roasted tomatoes in olive oil and burrata mozzarella. We'd seen the cheese plate option too late. But when the sprawling spread was presented to us, looking reminiscent on the same wood-block tray, we weren't disappointed. Top points for presentation. I like having options, so it was fun to try this with that and that with that. It was all almost perfectly portioned so you could consistently build the perfect bite. We found ourselves getting full by the time dinner came.

One thing I was not impressed with was the Caesar salad. The traditional romaine was flecked with tough purple kale leaves which, while beautiful, took away from the flavor. The homemade dressing was a little too light for me, though I appreciated its slightly sweet citrus flavor against the small bursts of saltiness from the capers.

The short rib dish was exactly what I was looking for - hearty without being overwhelming, tender while retaining its own robust flavor. It was beautifully perched atop mashed parsnips, which had intrigued me from the get-go. I've always passed these by in the supermarket, though it's a bucket-list item of mine to learn to prepare root vegetables. They had the familiar silky texture lent by what I expect was large amounts of butter and a subtle sweetness. I'm not sure if that came from the parsnips themselves or what I learned was a red wine/tomato braise (I'd pegged it as red wine and chocolate). Each was delectable on its own, but when coupled together or with the heirloom carrots was seriously heavenly.

THE SERVICE

It seems that all the servers work in tandem. We were approached frequently yet unobtrusively about how we were doing - did we need anything? - by each of the four servers working the floor, which included a manager. The guidance we'd gotten was spot-on, and the servers' chitchat welcoming. The few times I glanced up from my food, I caught sight of this server or that also glancing up from whatever prep work or restocking they were doing in order to ensure everyone was still being taken care of.

THE VERDICT

Now that I've bought a house in Red Bank and been relegated to the TFP's offices downtown, I rarely have the occasion to make the drive to Ooltewah. Nor, these days, do I have the desire. But I was glad I got to revisit. The Square is changing the game, and it was nice to see that in action. The surrounding businesses were filled with faces, giving an inviting air to the overall development. And while Wine Down is comparable to my favorite spots downtown, its place in that growing hubbub makes it unique and worth a visit.

Contact Jennifer Bardoner at jbardoner@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6579.