Morso, which opened in the Spring 2010, at the head of Gig Harbor's bay next to Water to Wine retail shop, doesn't label itself a "wine bar" as part of its name or paste it in its printed materials, yet it feels like a wine bar. First, it serves wine cocktails such as Chambosa, Morso Fresh, Belly of the Bay and Bay Breeze - all ringing in at $5 a pop. The last two taste similar to a vodka peach and vodka cranberry, respectively, yet are wine based. Second, its bar resembles a bar as it installed an Enomatic on the back bar, which dispenses wine directly from the bottle in one-ounce pours while keeping the freshness intact with inert argon gas. The bottles could have been uncorked for weeks yet maintains that freshly opened taste.

And that's where the "bar" references stop. Morso, which roughly means small plates in Italian, is a handsomely decorated restaurant with a knowledgeable friendly staff, innovative gourmet cuisine with a spectacular view of Gig Harbor, especially when they open their huge patio. Owned by business partners Steven Lynn (Water to Wine owner) and Stephanie Huddleston, Morso is a casual drop-in wine bar that serves wine discoveries paired with flavors of the season. Locally acclaimed chef Jeff Bishop (Il Fiasco, Brix 25, Merende) leads the kitchen that serves beautiful crostini, cheese, salads, flatbreads and meat dishes. The small plates are priced between $5 (crostinis) and $14 (fish dish), but the preparations will change regularly. A "kitchen notes" sheet arrives with a menu, which diners select what they desire with checkmarks. For example, if you check the $13 duck, you'll currently receive "slow braised duck leg, creamy French lentils, sweet marsala-crimini pan reduction." That preparation could change at any moment according to seasonal choices, what arrives "fresh" or Bishop's mood. I'm hoping the $12 steak salad option - "Tender flat-iron steak cooked to perfection, peppery baby argula, friend quail egg, Worcestershire vinaigrette" remains on the menu until my next visit.