Nanny Goat Hill Wine Bar & Kitchen

My wife and I love this little place. Warm as an oven in the cold and breezy outdoor patio for those warm summer days. This place has been a boon to the nightlife in the area, no doubt. We can’t wait for another reason to celebrate there. This is a great place for couples and for groups of 6 but not more. The limited space keeps crowd size down. They make up for the cash only aspect with a great wine and hand selected beer list. Well done guys! Also, daily specials that will wow you!

On a quiet sleepy stretch of Prospect Ave in Windsor Terrace, you will find this tiny, charming, cozy wine bar. I passed by it the first time, not realizing that it doubles also as a coffee shop in the daytime called Crossroads Café. Only after seeing the sidewalk sign, did I realize I had passed my destination.
The bar is beautiful, and the space is triangular. Narrow in the front, and opening deeper into the back. It is dimly lit with candles all around. Initially, we were only going to have a glass of wine here, but since Le Paddock couldn’t accomodate us, we decided to stay for wine and dinner. That was a good choice.
I have been drinking some reds lately and not getting completely allergic to them. Perhaps I grew out of my allergies of red wine, or perhaps the Claritin helps or perhaps I am just choosing wines with less sulfites. I asked the cute waitress to recommend a light-​bodied, dry red and she immediately recommended the Nero D’Avalo. And she was right on point. A good, dry red wine.
We decided on a plate of cheese which consisted of a gouda, a Castelrosso and another cheese (I can’t think of the name). It was accompanied by a sliver quince paste and honey comb and toasted bread. It was all extremely tasty and really «opened up my stomach.» That is the chinese saying for appetizers!
They don’t have a large menu, mostly snacks and small plates. For dinner, they have two weekly specials. The night we went, the special was a seafood orzo. They only had two large portions left, so we had the portions divided up for three people. It worked out well. It was just enough food. I am not really a big fan of orzo, but the seafood was good. Nice-​sized mussels, and a calamari here and there all swimming in a well-​seasonsed tomato base.
The wine kept flowing and we were all happy campers by the end of the night. A great place to hang out with friends or for a cozy, romantic date.
Just a few gripes:
Cash only
They ran out of their weekly special
They ran out of bread for my friend’e mussel dish
No dessert (This is why I deducted one star. You cannot please the Dessert Devil without something sweet. And don’t offer up your fig salad. That is not going to work for my inner diabetic).

Finally, Windsor Terrace has a bar for people who want to drink something other than craft beers or well drinks /​a space in which to enjoy oenophilic splendors other than one’s living room, yard, roof, stoop, balcony, or a luncheon in the grass. South Slope has Brookvin; Ditmas Park has The Castello Plan; and now Windsor Terrace has its own fittingly quirky Nanny Goat Hill Wine Bar.
I have long been a fan of The Juice Box wine store with its great selection and prices and helpful salespeople, so when i received a note from its mailing list alerting me to the opening of a wine bar from the same owners, it seemed right up my alley. The way Nanny Goat Hill works is that in the early evenings from Wednesday-​Sunday, lights are dimmed, candles are lit, counters are draped, and lo and behold Crossroads Café is transformed into a cozy, romantic corner of gustatory and olfactory delights.
The carefully edited wine menu features three forms of bubbly from three old world masters of the form (France, Italy, and Spain), a Rosé from Provence for those still in denial that summer is over along with an Austrian Rosé and «sweet and salty starters» (think Sherry). Six types of red and white wines are available by the glass, including common as well as less common varietals such as the Rioja Blanco I decided to try, which was a revelation – fruit-​forward with a taste of pear and honeysuckle. All of the cheese comes from Murray’s and Stinky Bkln and is served with copious amounts of toasted, fresh bread and local honeycomb and quince paste. We tried the Castelrosso, which was explained to us as sui generis as well as the owner’s personal favorite on the list. It has the consistency of a brie with a thicker rind and a sharper taste and is definitely worth trying. We also sampled the aptly named Ewephoria, a Sheep’s milk Gouda from Wisconsin, which was more firm and dry than a cow’s milk Gouda with a nutty taste. Finally, we tried the mild, creamy, hyperlocavore Westfield Capri, which, slathered on the well done toasted bread and dappled with honey, has made someone who had previously declared herself opposed to all forms of goat cheese a convert. The portions of all the cheeses were ample. If one wanted to come here for a full meal, it is definitely possible, as large plates and weekly specials, such as bay scallops in a tarragon tomato sauce with mezze penne, which sounded very appealing, are available. Service was exceptionally friendly and expert here. Let’s support our local businesses.

The neighborhood desperately needed an evening place like this. A robust wine selection with good food accompaniment — meats and cheeses and other small plates. I wouldn’t necessarily go there for dinner, but one could because they do have bigger dishes in addition to smaller plates. I’ve been four times and each has been fun. For a man in his late thirties with several kids, this place is my kind of scene. Great atmosphere for a date night but casual enough that we can just pop in for a few glasses of wine and a tasty snack. Note that they are only open Wed-​Sun, 5 – 11, and they do not accept credit cards.

Great wine & beer. Wonderful food & cheese pairing with our wine. Ask for a recommendation we did and loved it. Cool scene. Evenings only so we we’re out on a short date without the kids. I think they open after 5:00.