We had been to this place several times years ago when we lived in BloNo, and always had a great…read moreexperience. When we were back visiting recently, we decided to stop back in. We went on a Friday afternoon, and there were people in there, but still quiet, which was nice. We sat at the bar, and our server was helpful and checked us without being overbearing. The menu selection is great - not too small, not too big. Wines from different US locations, but also France, Italy, etc., so a nice option for everyone. They also had a board with special limited releases. We each had our own glass of wine and shared a third to try 3 different wines. Their prices are super reasonable, and they have quality selections. We also ordered some cheese to snack on. Delicious charcuterie options, as well as some other items like The Rock's hummus - yum! This is such a gem for the area. You can also take items home and shop from their storefront. Nice staff and a thoughtful menu. We will be back next time we are in town!

Got our drinking on at this Normal wine bar. It happens to be located close to the ISU campus…read more Stave doesn't get many students. Mostly because they're elsewhere slamming bad beers and Jell-O shots probably. That leaves more room for us here though. Choosing was made easier by the limited choices. It's got a wine list with only a few each of reds and whites, with quite a few California ones. They have some Italian ones too. Good prices for a glass. It's about $9 for a glass of the Sandhi. Basically this is a Chardonnay from the Central Coast. The Central Coast of California that is. It's about $2 for munchies such as apricots. They also have charcuterie boards with cheeses and meats. For sure it's a chill place compared to other bars on campus. It's open from the afternoons to the evenings. They're closed Sundays.

Love the little space with tons of beautiful art and great number of books to keep you occupied…read more The first time I came here, I did the Suzu's and Analog collab and it was so fun. The desserts were fresh, the wine selection was dry to sweet, and it was perfect! The second one with sushi and sake pairing was abysmal to say the least. Three dry pieces of sushi with one glass of sake. Will probably never do another collab night, and stick to getting wine.

At University of Illinois for a work event and decided to try something off the path. Was looking…read morefor a nice chill wine bar and found this on Yelp. Just me and a couple other people here it's gorgeous outside and they have a really cute patio. Music across the street is mellow, totally recommend checking it out if you're from out of town. Got the wine sampler and picked a great spread of different types of wine.

This is an adorable store in the middle of an otherwise uneventful town. Gilman is cute but…read moredefinitely not the most happening place. Inside Out is a nice alternative to most of the other shops around (dollar stores, thrift/antique). Most of the store is home goods items that are great to give as gifts (frames, kitchenware, decorative knickknacks). There is also a large selection of wine on the first floor and an awesome little backyard where you can drink wine or beers and relax with friends.

Quiet, relaxing, comfortable perfect for a small town often have live music on the weekendsread more

Very nice and quaint. The service was great, the wine and beer tasty and no lunch/dinner food but…read morethere are snacks to eat with your drinks. Very lovely and recommended.

We've gone to Alto twice this year, once to see Sass perform and once for a comedy night. It's…read morealways a fun and great time here! The servers are great, very knowledgeable and quick to answer any questions. I only had the sangria, which was delicious, but everyone else in my group loved their wine. I do think the place is a little run down and needs a bit of a face lift to make it more appealing on the inside, but you'll have a great time here nonetheless!

Highly recommend this place! Glad we didn't listen to the reviews because we had a great time, had…read moregreat service and their wine is so good! Brent and Joe were great hosts!

Wildcat Creek is set out in the countryside. The place is peaceful and relaxing. During non…read moreconstruction times it is t too difficult to find. You will find lots of parking on the back side of the winery. It is a long and up hill walk to get to the front entrance. Once inside you will find a small area that is nicely decorated and welcoming. The interior is full of attractive wood work. The wine tasting bar is very small. The staff here is very nice and helpful. They were very engaging and pleasant to talk with. You will find some indoor seating in the sun room that is very inviting. The seating outside in the porch is very relaxing and tranquil. You will find a very limited selection of finds. You will be disappointed if you are a dry wine drinker as there is one red and one wonderful choice. But wines were nice but not outstanding. There is a refrigerator with blocks or cheese and meat if that interests you. You will need to buy a whole block of cheese, package of meat and box of crackers. They do not have any prepared trays available. There is no other food available as well. This is disappointing in the modern winery day and age.

This place is so cute, I can hardly stand it! The perfect place to grab lunch before heading across…read morethe street to the bookstore. The baked potato soup was perfect on a rainy day, and the pecan chicken salad sandwich was so good. I want to come back to try the baked goods!

Always courteous and capable staff who are willing to please their customers. We are blessed with…read morethis beautiful haven in our little town.

Amazing wine selection and great small plates! There are some real bargains in the wine selections,…read moreand some rarities! The fact that you can buy a bottle retail and they will serve it to you for what is basically a tip is fantastic. Tell the staff what you like and they will suggest a whole new range of options for you to try out. This is gonna be my next date night, it's like a private club you can just walk into and they smile. (Great tunes playing as well.)

My husband and I stopped here on our way through town. What a wonderful experience. The small…read moreplates and wine were fantastic and the staff very personable and knowledgeable. The ambiance was very relaxing and kicked back. Wonderful atmosphere. We will definitely return the next time we are in town and highly recommend if you are looking for some nice wine and small plates.

We were there on a warm summer evening and dined outside where the classic downtown buildings…read moreprovided shade for the setting sun. The staff was friendly and welcoming. We ordered drinks and two special appetizers, shrimp in a spicy cream sauce and pork belly bits with diced mango. Both were delicious. For our mains, we chose: Sassy Chicken Thighs and Brown Sugar Brined Pork Chop. The chicken thighs melted in my mouth. We spoke at length with the manager after our dinner and tried to guess the ingredients in the outstanding sauces. The sassy sauce had in addition to the honey and Dijon, some cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and cumin. Not too spicy, just enough zip to make it interesting. The pork chop was also amazing. Tender and juicy with a cherry balsamic glaze. We would definitely recommend a visit and plan to return the next time we're in town.

This place was really good but my judgement all the way until we got our food was mixed. Very good…read moreYelp reviews but we were able to walk in and be seated immediately on a Friday night. The menu was several pages but only one page with food, drinks were the remainder. We got the dipper appetizer and I had the Sassy Chicken Thighs. Both were good and the thigh was boneless. My wife had the loaded potato salad, asparagus, and broccoli which she enjoyed. My son had the Steak Sliders with the potato salad which he really enjoyed. I suppose when the chef can master a menu there's no need for multiple pages. I misjudged and would definitely come back if I'm in town again.

Fantastic wine selection, organic and not full of tannins. The people working there are also great…read moreat recommending wine within your tastes. The food is fantastic! The patio amazing! And the atmosphere is laid back, quiet, and relaxing. They also sell bottles for carry out at a discount it is quickly becoming a favorite!

Perhaps timing a super busy Wednesday evening where staff seemed unable to keep up, one Reisling…read moreglass my sister got had ice chunks, another friend's French red seemed rotten somehow, the worst tasting expensive drink I've ever had. That includes Three Floyd's stouts which rival sewage. Charcuterie board was fine. Salad a typical strawberry affaire. Chocolate Torte and my Teays River lager the two redeeming qualities. It's a fun space with outdoor seating, a lot of energy and only the tiny wall bar space left for us. Maybe I'll try again but with many better places offering bigger menus, better value, and in tune service like Black Sparrow, Red Seven, and my all time city favorite Town and Gown, I suspect I'll let all the others enjoy the wine here since all I did was whine!