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• Deano's Vino Restaurant and Wine Bar

Deano's Delight Bison Burger has the right name. (Michelle Pemberton for The Star)

Deano's Vino's Onion Soup (Michelle Pemberton for The Star)

How fancy are we -- squeezing in a wine bar lunch for under $20? Deano's Vino in Fountain Square was a budget challenge, although without booze on our bill, I didn't think it would be.

New tag-along Mary provided good company in this near-Downtown hot spot more suited for the after-work enjoyment of adult beverages.

The mood

OK, so 'tis a bar, but being open for lunch requires being prepared for patrons and having a lunch menu to suit.

Upon entering we quickly discovered ourselves alone in the restaurant. Invited to choose our own seats, we sat down at the window table in the bar, where the employees were gathered, instead of being completely and utterly alone in the main and separate dining room.

The walls, decorated with bar kitsch and a massive floor-to-ceiling wine rack, contrasted with the rich paint and scattered tables. The dining room includes booths, great for a snuggly date.

Again, being the lone lunch guests, at least for most of our nearly two-hour lunch, the mood was mainly lacking. People make the place. And here, our hosts were discussing time sheets and new hires loudly behind the bar as we attempted to converse.

The food

From what I saw, the dinner and lunch menus are very similar. Remove the sandwiches, add on some steak and pasta dishes, shimmy the order around and voila! There's nothing wrong with overlapping items, but dinner costs should outweigh those of lunch.

For the lunch hour, soups and salad top the list, followed by appetizers of shrimp cocktail and pizza.

Platters, best paired with your favorite cab or pinot, were next. Meat platters, salmon platters, cheeses, fruit -- whatever you prefer to nibble while you nip -- and none for less than $7.

Sandwiches and more pizza round out the choices.

Wanting to try something out of the ordinary, and struggling to find it, I went the opposite way: comfort food. Grilled cheese for $6 (but it's gourmet, right?) and a cup of French onion soup ($3.50).

Flaky white bread housed the gooey goodness of what was supposed to be Gouda and provolone, although it tasted mainly like cheddar.

I also attempted to add on grilled onions, tomato and parmesan for an extra buck, but it didn't arrive that way, and my lunch pal wasn't in the mood to wait for a new sandwich.

Also on my plate was tasty Italian-style penne pasta salad.

The soup was flavorful and gooey with herb croutons floating in the broth.

Mary chose the Deano's Delight bison burger, served with the same pasta salad. Mouthwatering on the menu, with promises of balsamic glaze, gorgonzola, bleu cheese and tomatoes, it arrived minus said cheeses but with parmesan instead.

The drinks

Water, not turned into wine.

The damage: $21.60