With a deep wine list and swanky vibe, Caveau Wine Bar is one of Uptown’s busiest watering holes. But one thing the hotspot lacked: interesting food offerings. “It became a little stagnant,” Caveau co-owner Mike Marquardt admitted of the food menu, which went largely unchanged in its five-year tenure.

Now, major enhancements to the menu and kitchen, plus a new consulting chef, have upped Caveau’s program from stagnant to exciting. Former Squeaky Bean sous Blake Edmunds refurbished the menu—which rolled out last month—to make what he calls “some serious upgrades.” That means moving the vast majority of prep in-house and adding dishes designed to bolster the hefty slate of vino. Don’t miss the impressive, mix-and-match meat and cheese array, the crispy flatbreads, or the good-for-sharing nibbles like braised pork belly (pictured) and bacon-wrapped dates. Edmunds and Marquardt say the new menu is more of an upgrade than a revolution, but it’s a welcome complement to the bar’s wines.

Bonus: Caveau rolled out an expanded cocktail menu last week. Look for a new crop of champagne cocktails alongside the wine list.

—Image courtesy of Jathan Campbell