Sean Corbett photo

The savory half-chicken a la brava

Rouge Winebar
88 Washington St., Norwalk. (203) 354-4781, www.rougewinebar-ct.com

The latest dining spot to hit SoNo's restaurant row is Rouge, brought to you by Norwalk's Gavrielidis family of Harbor Lights, East Side Café and Overton's Seafood Stand fame. While I confess to a major eye-roll when first told of their concept of small plates and wines by the glass — so 10 years ago — I was proven wrong. The little red jewel box of a restaurant is delightful, with a full bar, a varied and extremely reasonably-priced menu, a friendly staff and a great vibe. As would be expected of such a new place (they opened in late February), they still have a few kinks to work out, but for adults seeking a sophisticated yet relaxed environment, Rouge hits the mark.

The food is beautifully presented by chef Rafael Marin, formerly of the Roger Sherman Inn and, years before, Amberjacks. Though the menu does offer a "tapas and mezze" section, options also include a small raw bar, regular appetizers and salads, a short list of classic entrees and, as a nod to the owners' heritage, a few Greek selections.

For our first tasting, we decided to go with their flow and to try some appetizers and other starters with a Chalone Monterey Chardonnay, one of the 22 wines offered by the glass. If you like to graze, start off with either the roasted baby beet salad ($10) or the yellowfin tuna tartare ($14). The salad is served as a neat, sideways, club sandwich–style stack of tangy-dressed chopped beets, creamy goat cheese, bright green arugula and crispy toasts. Garnished with pumpkin seeds, the salad's flavor and texture balance is perfect. The tartare, a small, layered tower of Maine lobster chunks, avocado salad and glistening diced tuna, is lovely and fresh. While its pineapple vinaigrette offers an interesting fruit note, a squirt of citrus would've brightened the flavor palette considerably.

The bread spreads, a plate of toasts with three superb toppings, makes for a satisfying hors d'oeuvre, perfect for two. We couldn't decide if we most liked the smoked salmon with triple creamy cheese and a caper-tomato relish, the hummus spread topped with chorizo and tomato, or the olive spread sprinkled with little shreds of roasted red pepper and a slice of prosciutto. At just $9, you can afford to decide for yourself. The premium quality of the delicate swirls of Serrano ham, dry cured Chorizo, sopresatta and ultra-thin Parma prosciutto ($4 per selection) offered as options for a charcuterie plate is evident. The only downside here is that the accompanying bread — just three slices — falls short in quantity. Ask for more.

A later visit finds us delving into entrees, but to tease our palates, we start with some Blue Points on the half shell. If they had told me someone harvested these oysters 15 minutes earlier, I would've believed them. They are ultra-clean, smooth and fresh. Main courses include salmon osso bucco ($18), tuna Rossini ($22) and lobster risotto ($24). We decide to try a half chicken "à la brava" ($18), a New York sirloin ($24) and a duck breast ($21).

The steak, while well-seasoned, comes out pre-sliced, a practice we question since it appeared sufficient time wasn't given for the meat to rest and retain its juices. The kitchen also needs to pay more attention to trimming here, as on two separate occasions we did battle with some hard, rubbery fat that should never have made it onto our plates.

Far superior was the sublime duck, bathed in Calvados and roasted to medium rare. Here, the sliced meat was exceptionally moist and with wilted spinach and a smooth yam puree on the side, you can't ask for a better entree. Reminiscent of an Italian Scarpariello preparation, the savory half chicken provides the singular tangy heat that can only come from hot cherry peppers, which are sautéed in a lemony white wine sauce. Thank heaven for the accompanying fingerling potatoes, which offered a way to sop up every last drop of the heady juices.

A visit to Rouge is a must and, in times like these, it's nice to know you don't have to spend a small SoNo fortune to check it out.