According to Wikipedia (a most, uh, reliable source), Claret is a name primarily used in British English for red wine from the Bordeaux region. Claret is also a winebar in Sunnyside, Queens on Skillman. Perched on a cute tree-lined corner, Claret offers outdoor seating in the nicer weather and odd interior seating year-round. I say odd because there's a lot more standing space than seating, which is odd considering it totes itself as a wine bar, not a bar-bar.
Now, while I felt their Cote de Rhone was a little overpriced ($10 for a class), the tempranillo that I consumed was delectable and, as stated on the menu, paired beautifully with the prosciutto, ricotta, fig and hazelnut open sandwich I ordered. However, based on what I tasted, the best thing on the menu was the black truffle macaroni and cheese. Oh man, not too much truffle oil, just enough, and the "cheese" part was gruyere, which is one of my absolute favorites. The hummus was okay, a little too oily and the pita served with it tasted a little too "packaged." Average NYC prices for wine and a pretty decent selection, a strong beer list (especially for a "wine" bar) for those who don't enjoy a glass of white, red, or pink, and excellent food with an option of a tapas for 2 as well as cheese platters (in various sizes, which is nice), and an uber sweet dessert menu. (How romantic.) A good date place--share the food, don't share the wine, or a good place to chillax with some friends and catch up. Can get a little loud though, especially with the music which my friends and I felt was a little much. I really liked the artwork on the walls. I'd go back, especially because I'd like to check out the rest of Skillman--seems pretty hopping, even in the rain!
www.claretwinebar.com
mmmmmm this sounds fantastic! Let's make a date to go there!
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