Swig - Small plate dining

Arul & Nandini joined us for dinner at Swig. Swig is one of the many new restaurants that have set-up shop in Milwaukee for the past year or so. Swig offers small plate dining. This is remarkable, especially in the midwest where people are wont to gravitate towards bigger portions for fewer Dollars. While this is good on the purse, the effect on the waistlines have been disastrous. Midwest is an ideal place to witness hanging guts which prevent most people from looking at their feet when they stand straight. It feels as though the midwest, especially Wisconsin, contains more obese people than the rest of the country.

So, a small plate diner where you need two or three orders to satiate the hunger is welcome. There were about 25 items (atleast, 5 to 6 vegetarian items) to choose from. The restaurant also encourages people to share, which makes eating there a communal experience. The ambience is classy and cozy and the wine list extensive. I drank a red wine called the temparanillo. I am not sure if it was a regional or a varietal, but that does not matter as the wine was smooth, full bodied and spicy - an excellent choice as it turned out.

The only downside is that the food can get pretty expensive very soon, which is apparent from the business model. Servings per plate are 40-50% less compared to normal restaurants but the reduction in the cost is not proportionate. Maybe, the costlier portions will encourage conumption in moderation.