St Clair Winery & Bistro Albuquerque

901 Rio Grande Blvd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104, USA

Address:	901 Rio Grande Blvd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104, USA
Phone:	+1 505-243-9916
Site:	stclairwinery.com
Rating:	4
Working:	11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–9PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 4

Jenni Fisher

St. Clairs Winery is one of the nicer places we have eaten in Las Cruces. And trust us, we have been all over this town! The food portions are quite large, but so is the pricetag. Its a fair trade. Fairly quickly, our waitress satisfied the hunger with a loaf of warm crusty bread, approximately 8 inches in length. It came with a mound of soft, spreadable garlic butter with green herbs. The bread and butter is always a hint for us at the quality of a place. (HARD butter? Youll lose points. Just sayin.) This bread = nearly perfect. For starters, we ordered an appetizer of green chile mac and cheese. This dish arrived at the same time as our meal, so unfortunately it didnt get the full attention it deserved. This pasta had perfect browning on top (which makes such a good flavor) and a delicious blend of melted creamy cheese (ricotta?) and a little kick from the chilis. One serving is enough to share with two. I (Chip) had a Pomegranate Chipotle Pork Salad for $16.95. It consisted of a plateful of spring greens along with generous portions of slivered Asiago cheese (!), slivered almonds, fresh julienned beets, cucumber and jicama chunks, and the pièce de résistance: pomegranate and mango-chipotle roasted marinated pork. This was drizzled (a little heavily) in a spicy pomegranate wine vinaigrette. The combination of flavors with the cool cucumbers and jicama and sliced green apples paired with the slightly sweet / quite spicy dressing was delicious. The pork was tender and not dry, which is often a risk with pork. The salad become more and more spicy as I ate it. It packs some heat, but Im not a native NM girl and havent developed a high tolerance for spice. Fish had the Rib Eye for $18.95 with an additional $2.00 to add grilled onions and mushrooms, because DUH! It was about the same size as an adult hand. The steak was tender and flavorful with nicely grilled carmelization. Accompaniments included garlic red-skinned mashed potatoes with bits of skin still remaining and a crop of blanched broccoli, red / green peppers and yellow squash. The vegetables were perfectly cooked to al dente, with minimal seasoning allowing the flavor of the vegetables to shine. The potatoes were average.... like restaurant mashed potatoes. Nothing to write grandma about. We ordered an apple crisp and brownie for dessert, but we are eating those at home tonight... so I cant speak to those yet! In fact, Ive got to finish this review because the apple crisp is calling. Oh... and one more thing. We didnt have any wine!! I know... sort of blasphemy in this place. But we are happy teetotalers. So youll have get your wine recommendations somewhere else. Both presentations were average: white dishes without any flourish. I mean garnish. Service was good. We were seated right away and our server was attentive with refills. Ambience was pleasant, especially if you love looking at rows and rows of wine bottles. Clean. Quiet. Outside nicely decorated with barrels of flowers. Taste: 8.5 Price: 8.0 Presentation 6 Ambience 8.5 Service 7 All in all... based on our handy dandy trademarked rating system, we give St. Clairs Winery an EIGHT. ***---------FISH and CHIP rate restaurants with an overall score derived from a 10-point rating system and a formula we developed to analyze FIVE criteria: taste, price, ambiance, service, and food presentation---------***

Michelle Gendron

The passion is gone. My husband and I frequented St. Clair when it first opened. The food was first rate and you could taste the chefs passion in every dish on the menu. When the chef was replaced a few of years ago, it wasnt quite the same but still good. We did find ourselves, however, not quite as enthusiastic about it as when they first opened and thus eat there infrequently now -- from about 8 times a year to about once a year. When I asked my hubby where he wanted to go for Fathers Day, he was craving a steak and wanted to give St. Clair another try as its nearby and he absolutely loves their wine. Our visit was mediocre to say the least. Service was fairly attentive, if not enthusiastic. My son very much enjoyed his chicken Parmesan. Hubby and I decided to order the ribeye and salmon and split them with one another. The salmon was fantastic as it always is. My veggies were over cooked and had no seasoning. The ribeye was requested with a medium temperature and not only was it well done in the middle, but it too had almost no seasoning. It was disappointing. To their credit, when I was asked how our meal was by the manager, and I answered less than enthusiastically showing him the cook on the steak, he graciously comped the entree. With so many great restaurants in Albuquerque, competition is fierce for my dining out dollars and I really want to be wowed every time I eat out whether its simple New Mexican fare or fine dining. Id love to give St. Clair another try. I really do love the wine, the atmosphere and the salmon.

A Private User

So... I live right around the corner from St. Claires. I have not written a single review for any restaurant but feel that St. Claires has gone above and beyond for my family, guests and neigbours. Food: outstanding (mostly southwest and continental European but also a good variety of classical American dishes). Customer service: outstanding. Music (what weve heard which has been modern jazz): outstanding. Ambience: also outstanding (old adobe with brick floors, patio). Wine (Lescombes Cab in particular): a breath of fresh air. Comment from October 15 inappropriate, especially given that author cant even recall what she ate (too much Lescombes?...) Agree, though, on the beer with Dec 18 comment. There is no reason why they cant offer a greater on-tap selection. I get the specialization on wine -- which is really, really good if you look at bottles in or above the $20 range -- but wish they would offer at minimum a Sams seasonal, if not a local micro beer such as 2nd St. brew porter or Marble Brewery DIPA. I have always been able to talk them into preparing a nasch (spelling?) for my guests. Their slow cooked pot roast is my favorite. Again, atmostphere is wonderful with friendly and helpful staff. Im glad I live near a place that offers such outstanding food, drink and service but would come here even if I didnt live nearby.

frank ferrara

We had our dinner for four on 7/30/13. A nice touch is the wine of the day taster to start off the meal. Our waiter was cordial but could benefit from a little extra training. For example never reach in front of a guest at the table when delivering meals. The food was just OK in my opinion. The best being the Pot Roast. The very worst was the Pork Tenderloin which consisted of five thin slices shingled on the plate with two broccoli florets and four baby fingerling potatoes and a pile of sautéed squash. The only thing on the plate that was hot were the potatoes. Sent it back and it was put in the microwave which made the food hot but tough. Also this was a skimpy portion served with a pomegranate and mango sauce which did not blend well. The other two dishes, catch of the day(sea bass but really cod) was overly salty. And a grilled pork chop which was rather small. The dessert was an apple crisp which was large enough to split four ways but needed to be toned down in terms of sugar and cinnamon. For the cost of the meal I think they can do better. On a parting note I have never heard of a business that does not have a phone book listing. Try to figure that out.