Drink out, drink up

Hanging low with restaurant markups

By TYLER BALLIET

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When you hit the point in your wino-ism that you can regularly recognize labels, the first big shock is the restaurant markup. We're all used to paying $5 for a pint of beer in a bar, then walking down the street and picking up a six-pack for $8, but paying $50 in a restaurant for a bottle of Italian white that only costs $17 in-store is highway robbery. There is always going to be a markup when dining out, but some places in Boston will cut you a better deal than others.

There are a number of restaurants around town known for extremely low markups on their vino. Silvertone [69 Bromfield St., Boston. 617.338.7887. silvertonedowntown.com] sells $100 bottles for less than retail, the Franklin Café [278 Shawmut Ave., South End, Boston. 617.350.0010. franklincafe.com] only marks up their wine $10 above the wholesale cost and Ten Tables [597 Centre St., Jamaica Plain. 617.524.8810. tentables.net] has a rotating selection of great wines in the $20-$30 range. These fine establishments have been rooting themselves in the city's quality wine market for a while, but let's look at some new kids on the block.

BANQ

Housed in the South End's Penny Savings Bank building, this spot is classy, sleek and surprisingly inexpensive. The wine list covers all the staples, like light and crisp whites such as the Château Bonnet from Bordeaux, France ($29), and juicy full reds like the Crios de Susana Balbo Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina ($28). They also pour good wines by the glass, including the über-popular Austrian white Sepp Moser Grüner Veltliner ($8/glass) and a great Pinot Noir for the money, the Cono Sur "Visión" from Chile ($9/glass).

Relatively low markup in combination with the organization of the menu—from light to full and separated into "old world" and "new world"—make this wine list incredibly approachable and easy to navigate. Fear not when pairing the wines with the food, as the general manager (who must have addressed every table three times while we ate) knows the wines inside and out.

[1375 Washington St., South End, Boston. 617.451.0077. banqrestaurant.com]

HUNGRY MOTHER

This haven of French-Southern cuisine is cozy, intimate and exactly 223 feet from the Kendall Square Cinema (thank you, iPhone). The wine list focuses on France, but sprinkles in most regions of the world, including the Ben Marco Cabernet Sauvignon from Mendoza, Argentina ($39).

We thoroughly enjoyed a glass of Monmousseau Vouvray from the Loire Valley in France ($8/glass) while waiting for our table, but settled on a bottle of the Guy Bocard Bourgogne Blanc ($37) for dinner. Upon later inspection and after a conversation with co-owner, Rachel, we realized this bottle of French Chardonnay comes from right outside the Meursault region of Burgundy. This basically means the bottle is about a quarter mile from being three times as expensive. The wine list proves not only affordable, but is chock full of high-value wines that pair excellently with the creative food.

[233 Cardinal Medeiros Ave., Kendall Sq., Cambridge. 617.499.0090. hungrymothercambridge.com]

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