Nib Dessert And Wine Bar, Not Just Desserts.

Warm Fennel Salad

Nib Dessert and Wine Bar, not necessarily what you might think of when contemplating a place to go have dinner, but think again. Nib Dessert and Wine Bar is now serving warm first and second courses as a prelude to their desserts.

Nib has been open for a little over a year, it is the owner's first restaurant and is next door to another local dessert hot spot Sweet Life Patisserie.

Spouses and co-owners Shane Tracey and Tiffany Petry just recently started serving savory dishes which include all the flair and finesse of their desserts. Petry works the front of house, while Tracey whips up his tasty creations in the back of their quaint restaurant that has about 10 tables.

The menu is seasonal and changes often, "There is something new on the menu weekly." Petry informs me.

I start off with the daily special which is a risotto cake with caramelized onions in a sweet wine reduction. The creamy risotto inside contrasts nicely with the crunchy panko breading, the sauce is a subtle sweet that accents the caramelized onion and sherry vinegar of the wilted spinach that tops the cake. Great start.

Next I try the Warm Fennel Salad dressed in a tarragon-dijon sauce and topped with Parmigiano-Reggiano. The licorice flavor from both the fennel and tarragon is not overwhelming and plays nicely with the hint of truffle from the imported truffle honey. This is a rich dish but not heavy, the pairing of Raptor Ridge Pinot Gris cuts through the richness and has nice lemon accents that enhance the lemon flavored olive oil also in the dish.

The first courses range in price from six dollars for the Gougeres, Gruyere cheese in a warm roll, to the $17 Foie Gras (goose or duck liver) and Pear.

You want comfort food? Try the Braised Rabbit Leg, perfectly moist rabbit over cocoa fettuccini, crimini mushrooms and carrots. Talk about a perfect entree for a cool March evening, the house-made fettuccini has a subtle cocoa flavor that goes well with the earthiness from the rabbit and mushrooms and slight sweetness of the carrots.

Braised rabbit

Other second courses include Herbed Gnocchi and Duck Leg Confit, prices on the second courses range from $11-$14.

The chef who is self taught, does an excellent job of letting the ingredients shine in each of the dishes finding ways to accent and enhance their flavors with exciting flavor combinations that aren't too radical.

"He makes really good gnocchi," says Petry. She also informs me that he makes choux paste gnocchi (the same dough Eclairs are made of) rather than potato gnocchi. I will have to save that for my next visit.

Another nice thing, they serve half glasses of wine for half the price, this way you can try several pairings without going broke or getting to inebriated.

I'm stuffed but I have to try a dessert, it wouldn't be all inclusive not to mention this is a dessert and wine bar.

I decide on the Pure, a sampling of chocolates from around the world, chocolate almond cake, ganache, chocolate pave, chocolate ice cream, and chocolate mousse. Holy Chocolate Batman! This is guaranteed to please even the most rabid of chocolate addicts. Although the dessert menu changes often, the Pure is a constant. "If we don't have something super chocolate people freak out," says Petry.

Another dessert to try was the Hazelnut Praline Ravioli in a vanilla citrus consomme. "Tastes like Nutella," I overheard another diner, Mara Fields exclaim as she tried one, "so Nutellaesque."

Overall, a wonderful experience. The dessert was great, but I'll be going back for the savory dishes too.

Pure chocolate

At a glance:
What: Nib Dessert and Wine Bar
Where: 769 Monroe St., Eugene
Hours: Wed-Thu. 6 - 11 p.m.
Fri. 6 p.m. - midnight.
Sat. 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. 6 p.m.-midnight.
Sun. 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Contact: phone (541) 485-1269
Web: nibdesserts.com