BYOB Buzz: Kitchenette

Kitchenette's volcano roll

Their eats: You want noodles. He wants nigiri. This much you agree on: You’re not about drop more than $20 on an overpriced bottle of wine. West Lakeview spot Kitchenette solves the debate with a BYOB policy and an extensive menu of sushi and Thai dishes. Not convinced a place can do both well? Thailand-born owner Chanin Visalsawadi is eager to surprise you. Some of the creative maki served in his minimalist, red and orange-hued dining room can turn heads—try the volcano roll ($10), which combines smoked salmon, shrimp, crab stick, jalapeno, tobiko, unagi, cream cheese and spicy mayo in one tempura-battered, deep-fried package. There’s standard maki, nigiri and sashimi too, all reasonably priced at $2 to $7 per piece or roll. Typical Thai dishes round out the menu, including a rich, fragrant, panang curry with chicken, beef, tofu or vegetables ($6.95). On Sundays and Mondays, the $19.99 all-you-can-eat sushi special is a big draw.

Your drinks: Just a few blocks from Kitchenette, you’ll find quaint neighborhood wine shop Que Syrah. In the under-$20 range, Que Syrah manager Don Hupp recommends a bottle of Allan Scott riesling ($17.95). The intense Marlborough, New Zealand, wine provides a sweet (but not too sweet) and citrusy balance for spicy Thai food. If your game plan involves sushi, opt for a bottle of Steel Creek pinot noir ($14.95) from Monterey, Calif. Hupp says the smoky red with raspberry, black cherry and plum notes is perfect with tuna or salmon. Kitchenette does not charge a corkage fee.

Emily Hiser Lobdell is a Metromix special contributor. metromix@tribune.com