Is it a restaurant that wants to be a wine bar, a wine bar that happens to be attached to a restaurant…? 20nine hasn’t decided what it wants to be when it grows up—or if it has we’re not in on the secret. Our opinion: work a little more on the food, then we’ll come for both. (For what it’s worth, the food does seem to be gaining equal footing of late.)

The wine selection, in any case, has moved smartly beyond the Napa Valley focus implied by the restaurant’s Highway 29 namesake. We recently got very happy over some exceedingly nice Aussie shirazes at advantageous, happy-hour bottle prices. We were almost as happy about some marinated and grilled lamb skewers, despite so-so sauces, and liked a seared scallop starter once rescued from a flawed curry cream sauce. A properly charred exterior masked a Kobe burger’s perfectly medium-rare interior (the fries were, good, too). A good crust was not the sign of perfectly-cooked salmon, alas, but the accompanying wild rice was sufficiently sauvage. The roasted garlic and mushroom risotto partnering a more-than-respectable seared duck breast also stood out.

In amenable weather, being seated at a table on the breezy patio seems to encourage exploration of the wine list. The cozy-chic interior, featuring wine-country murals, a goblet chandelier and back-lit faux alabaster behind the bar also lulls one into submission—as do suggestions, usually very good, from the owner. Be warned.