There are restaurants with good food and good ambiance and restaurants with good service. There are restaurants you go to for your favorite dish or because they make your martinis just the way you like them. If there is something that Tucos Wine Market & Café should be known for, it should be for having Napa quality food right here in Davis.

I’m embarrassed to say that we are new to Tucos. Considering that eating is our sport and that work, play and travel are what my husband Jon and I do to fill the space until the next meal, and that something this wonderful was under our noses all along… it’s embarrassing. People told us and we didn’t listen.

We walked into the restaurant once last summer but it was stifling hot and the servers were bustling about without paying attention to us so we left. On this evening, we were on assignment, so I was going to see the meal through, good or bad. Even though I’ve driven by many times, I hadn’t really noticed the pleasant seating area by the front door. Those tables were reserved, which was fine with us since we wanted to observe the action inside.

There are only a handful of tables inside; some bistro style and some regular height. We chose a bistro table close to the wine wall and started to peruse the wine list. After each of us ordered “Sparkling Discovery” flights,