On our walk home, we talked about how neither of us really understands wine. Sure, we know the basics and we can pick a few bottles to enjoy at home, but when we go out and taste that perfect glass, we’re humbled again.

Telegraph gave us that experience.

This new Logan Square wine bar sets a high standard for drinks. The by-the-glass selection is carefully curated but large enough, and the staff knowledgeable and informative. Our server, Matty, seriously knew his stuff and did not hesitate to give us great recommendations after we told him what we liked. Asking for a low-tannin choice and another robust option, he had the perfect pick of a grenache blend for her and a bold Greek for him. Round two was a home-run as well when we paired sweeter wines with desert: a sparkling apple cider and a deep tawny port. The fellow’s inquisitiveness about the bitter chinato even scored him a small taste to end the night.

Tucked away in the quiet back of the restaurant, our drink experience was sublime.

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However, in terms of the food, Telegraph seemed to be overreaching. They face tough competition just on their own block with Longman & Eagle (and their Michelin star) next door and Lula across the street. The menu features complex dishes, but by reaching so high, they tended to fall short. All the dishes we had were enjoyable, but each had something about it that just didn’t jive.

For an appetizer, we tried the veal risotto, but found it overly oily and a bit out of balance with too much meat and too little rice. The lady then picked the Amish chicken (perfect skin and impeccably flavored and seasoned, but without enough of the squash stuffing side) while the fellow had the Vermillion rockfish (OK, but utterly disconnected from the Brussels sprout, pomegranate seed and mascarpone accompaniments). We finished with the vanilla panna cotta which was a little under-firm and curiously served in a water glass, but was topped with scrumptious ginger molasses crumble and roasted apples.

It was a good meal. It was not a great meal.

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A better approach for Telegraph might be a snack or small-bite menu that would compliment the wine. Take the limited cheese plate and charcuterie options and scale them up to a full menu. Drop the first course sandwiches and instead offer bite-size appetizers. Scrap the complexities and pick one-note plates, but done well. We both thought back to WaterShed as an example of how this should work: three dollar selections, each simple, small and tasty.

Telegraph will remain on our go-to list for the revelatory drinking experience, — it’s money well spent to find suggestions and service of this caliber, — but we’re staying cool on the food for the moment until they hit their groove.