Turks & Frogs is way the hell in the middle of nowhere

Note to readers: When you look at a map of Turks & Frogs' wine bar location, don't do what I did. By which I mean, don't look at the map and say, "Hey, it's in the West Village, that's pretty near the W. 4th Street stop!" Because, uh, it's not. And it's extra-not when it's 20 degrees out and you're hoofing it 15 minutes from W. 4th Street.

Anyway, once you get there, however you choose to get there, it's actually quite nice. It's small and romantically lit, with a bar area up front and a hodgepodge of furniture and tables in the back room. Grab a seat, grab a menu, and settle in.

There are some really interesting wines on the by-the-glass menu, and many of them are reasonably priced. I chose a glass of the Emir, which was listed in the "crisp, dry, refreshing" category. And darn it, was it indeed crisp, dry, and refreshing! Mouthwatering, a bit in-your-face, but sufficiently snappy and tasty-- and all for $8. Not bad!

Crisp? Check. Dry? Check. Refreshing? Check!

I also ordered their mixed Turkish olives, a bit steep at $6. Sadly, these weren't great. The shriveled black olives were a bit raisiny; green olives stuffed with pimento had an interesting balsamic glaze but still aren't quite my cup of tea (I'm just not a fan of pimentos); and some greenish-brown olives were the best of the bunch but still not close to my ideal olive. Oh well, it was something to munch while I sipped my wine.

Meh

KS and I enjoyed Turks & Frogs, but honestly it's in such a random location that it's unlikely I'll go back. If you're in the neighborhood, though, check it out; it's a nice place to be for a few hours on a chilly evening.

Turks & Frogs
323 W. 11th Street, between Greenwich and Washington
212-691-8875