Mystery Diner in Crystal Lake: With wine and shared plates, Vine & Plate a perfect spot for night out with friends

How can you go wrong with a place meant to be shared with friends?

Just off Route 14 in Crystal Lake sits Vine & Plate, a wine bar that prides itself on the shared experience of wine and food.

I took a trip out there for lunch on a Thursday, and while I took a pass on the wine, the food not only offered a well-cooked meal with high-quality ingredients, but looked like time and care had been put into its presentation.

And like the food, the restaurant offers some uniqueness in its design. A large bar occupies the center of the establishment, which in many ways feels like a classic winery. Bottles and plants sit on shelves around the restaurant, with some of the interior made of old-fashioned brick.

The menu is tailored to pair its food with its wines, the concept being for friends to share a variety of the plates.

I started with the grass-fed sirloin steak street tacos with avocado. I received three tacos, served on corn tortillas with onion, queso fresco, cilantro and a side of salsa verde. The steak was cooked perfectly, and made for a great bite.

While I prefer my salsa verde to be spicy, the flavors were appealing and I found myself wanting more after I’d finished.

To pair with the tacos, I ordered the little burger, which came with three small burgers. On them were American Wagyu beef, chili fig jam and brie on mini brioche buns.

I was caught a little off-guard initially by the addition of jam, but the combination went well together. The burgers looked simple, but the ingredients packed a lot in each bite.

Because other things on the menu caught my eye, I decided to order an additional dish and a dessert to go. It was hard to choose, but I took some of their crispy organic chicken wings with the spicy Korean sauce.

Even in a to-go box, the wings looked delectable and were just as tasty. They went well with a petite slice of the flourless chocolate cake, a nice dessert.

In addition to wines, Vine & Plate offers a number of shared menu options, including a hummus plate ($12), grass-fed skirt steak ($26), salmon cakes ($15), vegan scallops ($12), a charcuterie board ($23) and shrimp avocado bake on rice ($16).

Some of the flatbreads and sandwiches are a spinach flatbread ($15), honey barbecue flatbread ($14), steak sandwich ($18) and a couple different kinds of sliders.

They also serve different types of tacos, such as veggie tacos ($12), as well as salads, soups and some desserts, including a cinnamon apple puff pastry ($7).

If you’re looking for a place to snack with friends on high-quality food, and pair it with wine, you can’t go wrong with Vine & Plate. With its great service, a plethora of unique and flavorful foods, it’s worth the trip out.

• The Mystery Diner is an employee at the Northwest Herald. The diner’s identity is not revealed to the restaurant staff before or during the meal. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a review.

Seeking reader suggestions: We welcome readers to share their recommendations of places they would like the Mystery Diner to visit. Email ideas to tips@nwherald.com.

IF YOU GO

• WHAT: Vine & Plate

• WHERE: 414 W. Virginia St., Crystal Lake

• PHONE: 815-893-0325

• INFORMATION: www.thevineandplate.com