Comfy, Victorian

I should’ve known that the fireplace was going to be trouble. To call myself hot-blooded conveys the wrong image, but seriously, I don’t generally need an external heat source to keep warm.

Quite the opposite.

And so, usually, when I walk into a new place, I scope the fireplaces and set up camp as far from them as possible.

It’s just that, at Left Bank Wine Bar, there’s a fainting sofa parked right across from the hearth.

And that sofa … just … looked so. Damn. Comfortable.

(Spoiler alert: It was.)

It’s the duty of any coziness-concerned establishment — and Left Bank is such a place — that the first bite of autumn brings a roaring fire, and so, on this early October evening, the fireplace was in full blaze.

Quickly enough, my heat-related discomfort was offset by shock at the happy hour prices ($5 wine glasses, 10 beers at $5 and under, including the Dogfish Head Pumpkin Ale that Joel Smith loved so much in our Dining Guide) and generous portions. The flights on the night in question seemed like full pours.

We ordered two appetizers to accompany the quick after-work drunk and the thing started to feel like a proper fête. The cheese plate with the server’s suggestions of Humboldt Fog, Tallegio and Vache Fermier ($10) got more robust when upsized with prosciutto and salami (an extra $6). The Gorgonzola honey bruschetta ($8), though, with its nice interplay of sweet and tart on a wonderfully toasted medallion of baguette, got everybody swooning. (Good thing I scoped out the fainting sofa.)

This is simple, well-built, tasty food, a thoughtful counterpart to the well-chosen, well-priced wines and microbrews. The same goes for the comfortable, rich-looking environment.

Though it’s now long in the tooth, the enduring legacy of the whole shabby chic trend will be that it has put people at ease with the idea that ornate décor needn’t feel stodgy, and certainly needn’t be uncomfortable.

Left Bank isn’t shabby chic or anything. There’s no chipping paint in sight. Everything is nicely appointed — velvety damask drapery, adorable little chandeliers, that fainting sofa, etc. But without a doubt, the concept of cozy Victoriana (at less-than-Gilded Age prices during happy hour) is in full effect. — LUKE BAUMGARTEN

Left Bank Wine Bar, 108 N. Washington St., Suite 105, is open Mon-Fri 11am to “late in the evening,” and Sat from 4 pm to “late in the evening.” Happy Hour is 3-6 pm during the week.