Mountain View wine bar Le Plonc opens

This is an... interesting place. The inside is gorgeous. The owners are delightful, fun people. The food is decadent and inspired. The wine... is very budget. There's a reason each glass is only $7. I'm happy we have a place to come relax in a beautiful building and enjoy a bite and glass of wine, but if you're looking for *good* wine (that admittedly you'll pay more for), Savvy Cellar is the better option.

We heard about Le Plonc and went earlier this week. It was gratifying, and not at all common here in the US, to enjoy a very good glass of wine for $7 (I had the Italian cab-sangiovese, expecting a Super-Tuscan like taste and was quite pleased). This sort of affordably good table wine is wonderfully common in Europe but rarely so here. The small plates were also quite tasty and reasonably priced. All that and an attentive staff, and young co-owners with passion (we met Nadia and Norbert, who shared that they were married in Paris). We will definitely be going back.

I visited Le Plonc with my husband for their soft opening on Monday. We were immediately impressed by the warm, glowing atmosphere - sleek and elegant, yet warm and welcoming - just what Castro Street has needed for far too long.

The wine list, as mentioned by other reviewers, offers a range of reasonable wines and scales up to the pricier vintages. Having just returning from Italy, I have to say that a good Italian "table wine" should not be met with an upturned nose. Europeans know their wines, and even the most modest red can be life changing. I have enjoyed many pricier bottles and been left far less impressed than I was with the red I chose at Le Plonc. Their menu (I was told it is a work in progress) was equally satisfying. Their cheese board, with buttery Brie, fig spread, and honeycomb was fantastic. "Plonc", btw, is a play on the word "Plonk" - a British / Aussie slang word used to refer to a cheap wine. The irony is not lost, however, at Le Plonc, as their décor and offerings are anything but bottom shelf!

The owners were all on deck for the opening and were incredibly warm and gracious hosts. I look forward to making this a regular stop when I'm in Mountain View, and I encourage other readers to do the same!

Wine people! LOL