Dining for $25 or less: Winks Hill Top Grill

By Karen Nitkin | Special to the Sun

March 6, 2008

Owner Henry Mitchem says he named his restaurant Winks because it sits in the shadow of the ever-leering giant Natty Boh head that hovers over Brewers Hill.

But Winks Hill Top Grill has the unfortunate distinction of being a Brewers Hill establishment that serves no brew. Though Mitchem is working to get a liquor license, he doesn't have one yet. That means this family-owned eatery has to survive on the strengths of its charm and the quality of its food.

It's a tall order for an establishment in this youth-centric, bar-friendly neighborhood, but Winks, which opened in April, has already survived almost a year, and Mitchem said customers never complain about the BYOB policy. During our lunchtime visit, nearly every table was taken, so that's a good sign.

The menu of thin-crust pizzas, pasta dishes, steaks and pork chops is not particularly inspired, but the kitchen succeeds in bringing some pizazz to these mainstays.

Popular Italian dishes, including veal parmigiana ($14.95) and linguini with clams ($13.95), take up most of the menu, but there are also a few inventions, such as chicken Enreco, a mix of chicken, tomatoes and basil served over pasta.

We particularly liked the chicken piccata ($14.95), which managed to create a sophisticated balance between the tart lemons and piquant capers and the mellower wine and garlic. The chicken had been gently seared, so that the skinless white meat developed a thin brown crust that kept the chicken moist. This dish came with a side of fresh, perfectly sauteed spinach, and a green salad with a nice mix of dark greens, shredded carrots and red onion.

I have to say I was not quite as enamored with the spinach ravioli ($10.95), though I did approve of the dish's thick tomato sauce. Studded with onions and just a little sweet, this chunky sauce was fresh-tasting, as though it had been made that morning.

Not so the ravioli themselves. The discs of green pasta were filled with a delicious creamy mix of ricotta and spinach, but the pasta itself was on the tough side, as though it had been frozen. Also, for some reason, the dish was not uniformly hot.

The pizzas at Winks did arrive steaming hot and were quite good. They are built on an excellent thin and chewy crust, and can be ordered with toppings such as spinach and ricotta ($8.95) and crab and shrimp ($10.95). Our pizza margherita ($10.95) did not have the fresh basil promised on the menu, but it did have slices of tomato.

Winks doesn't make its own desserts and doesn't list them on the menu, but if you ask you'll be told of cannoli, cheesecake and chocolate cake. Our slice of cheesecake, presented with no swiggles of sauce, dollops of whipped cream or any other fanfare, was pedestrian to the extreme, dense, slightly cold and not at all worth the calories.

The service at Winks is pleasant and attentive without being obtrusive. The restaurant looks nice, in a simple and inexpensive way. Booths line a wall of exposed brick on one side, and on the other, a sleek black bar fills one corner. For now, of course, that bar is dispensing sodas.

Mitchem said he's planning to upgrade the menu a bit. Now that the restaurant has been open a year, it's time to introduce some new salads and entrees, he said. Winks has a simple charm and talented kitchen. An updated menu can only help.