We tried El Lopo's "Take Care of Me Night"

What to expect: For $85 per person, you get an evening filled with unique dishes, including venison tartare, oven-baked rockfish and rabbit with a sticky, sweet glaze.

• The evening is an opportunity to try old favorites, new dishes coming onto the menu and "self-indulgent weird plates that we know nobody would order on a normal night," says owner Daniel Azarkman,

The vibe: The bar has a warm, rustic feel that makes it easy to strike up conversation with a stranger.

• It was a lively, bustling event but not overcrowded. Attendees were handed nametags, encouraged to meet and mingle with one another and form teams to help the wine bar come up with a distinctive new menu item.

What I ordered: The drinks were à la carte, though they did offer beverage pairings.

• I had a glass of their house-made vermouth infused with kaffir lime and urfa, a Turkish chili pepper that's salty, smoky and a bit spicy.

The intrigue: My husband and I also had fun drinking sherry from a porrón, a traditional Spanish glass vessel resembling a watering can of sorts that sends a stream of wine into your mouth.

💭 My thought bubble: It's a unique, fun dining experience that feels like a dinner party with friends rather than an evening out at a place with a stuffy prix-fixe dinner.

What's next: Keep an eye out on their website for their next event or sign up to become a member to receive first-dibs access.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to show the dinner is $85 per person (not $89).