Unwined — Restaurant in Milford

My wife and I were very much looking forward to liking this place a lot. The menu looked interesting and it was nice to see a true wine bar added to the local restaurant scene. Unfortunately, it fell short of our hopes and expectations, given the strength of others' reviews.

On the plus side...The overall ambience is lively and appealing, although the hard acoustics made it difficult to hear each other sometimes without raising our voices. Our server was delightful helpful and very attentive, and the other wait staff seemed very eager to please. They have a nice cocktail menu, and our drinks were very good. The Why So Blue was actually pink in color, but my wife loved it, and my Aperol Spritz was excellent. We enjoyed some of the tapas we ordered, including the shrimp and the risotto.

On the not-so-plus side...The ostrich meatballs sounded intriguing, but were WAY overdone, hard as rocks, and could have used some additional sauce. The halloumi fries were rather bland and dry; they could have used some additional pomegranate dressing. The wine menu is extensive and varied in both price and type. Unfortunately, my wife chose to have a glass of one of the relatively inexpensive whites (a Jean-Luc Colombo), which was awful. To be fair, she said it tasted better the more she drank of it. ;0)

Our enjoyment of the experience was significantly dampened by aspects of the service. The main dining room -- at least the area where we were sitting -- became uncomfortably cold the longer we sat there. I asked the server if they could crank down the a/c a bit. A few minutes later, the hostess (who I think is the owner) came to our table. Basically, she refused to consider adjusting the temperature, which she insisted was 72 degrees (clearly it was 67-68 degrees, at best). She told us the only option for us to switch tables was to sit in the outside deck, which was exposed to the still-broiling sun. Frankly, she seemed more interested in being right about the temperature rather than addressing our discomfort. Some time later we offered to move to another table that was in a warmer part of the room; but by then we were almost done with our meal, so we demured.

The other misstep: a different member of the wait staff knocked over my cocktail glass, which shattered all over the table and floor around us. This could happen in any restaurant at any time. However, we would have expected to be offered a different table while the staff cleaned up the mess, which included a number of very small shards of glass on the table itself. This did not happen. A few minutes after the mishap, the wait person who knocked over the glass came back to the table. She apologized for the incident, explaining that a bracelet on her wrist caused the glass to topple over. Okay, fine -- but, surprisingly the bracelet was still on her wrist!

In the end, we decided that although we had a very mixed experience at Unwind, we expect to give it another try. We would consider returning there at some point to delve more deeply into the wine list, most likely on a less sultry evening when they hopefully don't have the a/c cranked up to the max -- that, or get a table outside...

So exciting to have a new place in town! We can't wait for the deck to open and enjoy a bottle of wine and a cheese board. In the meantime, we attended the Grand Opening and this gorgeous new place on the Milford oval did not disappoint! The calming olive colored paint with mossy trim is warm and inviting. The high, black ceiling with exposed ductwork is sexy. The wood floors guide you to a long bar (this will be our favorite spot in the future) which is adorned with black leather barstools that swivel. The mirrored wall behind the bar creates a feeling that the restaurant is double in size. There is candlelight on every table with a real flame. A separate room in the back offers an intimate den for private gatherings. There are plenty of windows along two sides to watch the gorgeous sunset (and a perfect view of the drivers below, still trying to figure out how to navigate the oval smh).

Our favorite, and a highlight of the dinner (besides seeing the one and only beautiful Eileen Cavallaro) was the creamy bacon brussel sprouts. I KNOW! I don't eat meat but I gave them a try and they melted in my mouth. I resisted the urge to lick the plate and we honestly considered ordering another bowl.

The beet salad was just the right mix of tart sherry dressing, pickled shallots, crunchy almonds, and creamy feta (tasted like gorgonzola) to balance the earthy beets.

The arancini had a silky cheese center and a crisp, perfectly fried outside, swimming in cheery, bright romesco sauce and christened with basil. This dish was suprisingly generous with six small rounds that I didn't have to share:)

My date ordered the grilled Picanha 10oz steak and it was worth the wait! It requires perfect silence when you take the first bite, let this sink in. He described it as hearty and rich, with a subtle smokiness from the grill, and a savory demi-glace. On the side was an enormous hassleback potato which was thinly sliced, roasted to golden brown perfection, and adequately seasoned all the way through.

OH yes! And a bottle of red between kept us warm and happy!

Of course, we didn't save room for dessert but that gives us something to order next time. See you soon and best of luck to you. Your hard work has paid off and it was worth the wait for you to...

My partner's family and I recently visited Unwined to catch up and have dinner, and it was honestly subpar

Items ordered: Various wines and cocktails, French fries, marinated olives, homemade chips, arancini, Caesar salad, cauliflower "steak" (vegan option), NY Strip, rack of lamb

Pros: The wine and alcohol selection is superb and we were all impressed with it. Both domestic and international wines and alcohols were offered. The appetizers and tapas are pretty tasty and easy to share Our waitress was prompt and friendly, and made sure our needs were met throughout the evening The outdoor seating was very relaxed, but a bit loud because of the tough guys riding their motorcycles through the Oval

Cons: The main course meals were honestly subpar and overpriced. The arancini needed more seasoning Our Vegan reported that the cauliflower "steak" was literally just half a charred head of cauliflower with little to no seasoning or sauce My partner had the NY Strip which was charred and tough. I have cooked much better strips at home myself; and I'm not a professional chef. I ordered the rack of lamb. The quality of the meat was good, but the theme of everything being charred continued. Someone tell the chef not everything needs to be charred on the outside. Save that for high quality burgers and steakhouse filets. The price you pay for the quality of food you get is absolutely insane. The cauliflower steak was $30 (what?!), and the strip and lamb were $40-46

Overall group experience: Our experience at Unwined was honestly subpar. The wine and cocktails are easily the best part. Avoid the main courses as they are extremely overpriced with poor quality, and stick to the tapas. The restaurant is new, so I'm hoping in a year or so it will improve.

My personal recommendation: If you want high quality dining with comparable drinks, better food that's actually worth the pricetag in Milford, head on down the street to Greenleaf for a better experience. If you just want a place for a glass of wine and an appetizer or two, Unwined...