So when I ended up at So Vino on Westheimer on Saturday night, I was happily surprised to discover that the wine bar not only measured up to my expectations, but exceeded them.

FULL WINE LIST AND FULL BAR
As soon as I walked in the door, I could feel my stress start to disappear. Dressed up for the holidays, the décor is classy with gold highlights and comfortable seating. The mood is soft, but casual.

In other words, you can come in jeans and you won't have to yell over the crowd to have a conversation -- which is perfect for a relaxing night out.

As you might expect, they have a full wine list with everything from traditional whites and reds to more exotic vintages.

I won't get into all the wines, as the menu is six pages long and changes weekly. But I can tell you that glasses range from $8 to an incredible $75 for those nights when a celebration is in order. Although, I must admit, I've never had that kind of celebration yet -- but if you do, let me know what it's like.

And if you have no idea what kind of wine to pick, just ask Marco. Marco is the guy who runs the place and is there every night. He knows the menu inside out and is fantastic at chosing wines to the customer. He can pick out something for you based on your cravings, personal tastes or what you're eating that night.

"My goal is to make sure that every customer in the place has a smile on their face," said Marco. "It's all about service and making sure the customer is happy."

But if wine is not your thing, they do have a fully stocked bar with everything from beer to premium liquors.

Oh and here's a little secret: Carlos, the bar manager, makes killer martinis and can whip up anything your heart desires. He even made me a mystery martini while I was there.

"It's got chocolate, a little apricot brandy, chambord and a couple other things," said Carlos. "I'm not even sure I can make it again."

I have no idea what it was, but I'm not complaining. It was mmm...mmm...good.

GREAT ATMOSPHERE AND GREAT SNACKS
As you can tell, I was enjoying my night out. I even liked the complimentary nuts served at the bar (they have chocolate chips in them). Plus, I was kind of digging the retro dance music they were playing.

But what really surprised me about So Vino was the menu.

Usually wine bars serve pizza and maybe some cheese. In fact, with the exception of Max's Wine Dive, this is the first one I've come across in Houston where you can simply snack, eat a full meal or just have a bowl of truffle popcorn (yes, they really do have popcorn on the menu)

Tempting as it sounded, I didn't try the popcorn (they say it goes great with champagne), but I did get the duck which came with a malbec-blackberry reduced reduction, potatoes and Brussels sprouts. It was really good and I would get it again, especially as the wait staff paired it up with a great red wine.

HALF PRICE WINE NIGHT
Here's the best part: You don't have to wait until the weekend to uncork a bottle of wine. On Monday's, So Vino offers all their bottles that are under $100 for half price.

So you can either order your normal bottle for half the cost or you can go all out and order something you would never try and get it for a reasonable price.

Basically, it's a win/win either way...especially when you pair it up with great company and great food.

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