Another Wine Bar/ Open Air Market Visit

This time to see my girlfriend in Baltimore. What looks to be a former train depot has been restored by a public-private partnership to an open air farmer's market on top, and an indoor market below. All owned and occupied by independent merchants.
I was in heaven.




There was everything from a bread maker, to a produce stand that also made juices and smoothies, to an Italian market and much more. I went nuts and bought all kinds of goodies.
Even better attached to this market is a wine bar/shop where we sat down and had a glass of wine and this cheese plate.



The wine bar is called Grand Cru. I liked it well enough, it had a nice casual vibe, and lots of happy-looking people. The layout was a little haphazard, and my Niagra Falls Riesling was not all that great. Not bad, but a little thin. So thin, it made me wonder if the bottle had been opened the previous day (not good). Their food menu was delightful and included such options as pheasant sausage. We opted for the cheese plate above and it was quite good.
I would highly recommend any foodie visiting Belvedere Square as it is a wonderful experience, and a reminder of how important it is to foster locally owned, quality businesses. The results can be spectacular.

More Wine Bar Research

This Sunday we went to check out DC's newest wine bar, Cork. It is located in a neighborhood that was strictly off limits when
I was a kid, and unfortunately not terribly well marked. Once we found it we were then were left to stand outside and wait in the cold while the employees milled about inside
past opening time (5p).
Once inside things did improve considerably. The décor was lovely,
sort of earth tones meets chic and still comfortable. We started out at the bar where the friendly and knowledgeable bartender poured each of us some wonderful wines by the glass including a sparkling Jura rose that was really delicious. We recognized quite a few of the wines from kybecca shelves, so we had to branch out a bit to find new things. While their choices were very thoughtful and interesting, I would encourage the owners to come up with a better preservation method than the vacuvin. That system is fine for light commercial or home use, but when you are paying a premium price for a wine by the glass, something a little more effective is in order.
The food was lovely and served in small, elegant portions as well. We had the citrus trout, fried calamari, cheese plate (good cheeses, portions a little paltry), steak with roasted brussell sprouts, and frites with home-made ketchup.
If you are inclined to take a trip to DC, then it is definitely worth checking out. Corkdc.com

What Is A Wine Bar?

This may seem like an easy question to answer, but when you are opening a wine bar it is one that must be thought through in order to refine your concept. Over the last 6 months we have visited a lot of restaurants that called themselves wine bars, and a few real wine bars. Some impressed us with their novel thinking and great presentations and others were (in our estimation) really off the mark.

Here are a few criteria that I think make a wine bar:

• Wine should be the focus of the concept with all other offerings to support the wine.
  
• It should have a distinctly different feel than a restaurant. Meaning the emphasis for the look and feel of the space should support the enjoyment of wine and offer a place with the ability to socialize without shouting over music or being forced to sit in a more formal dining style.
• Staff should know the product and be able to assist the customer in making suggestions and answer questions about the product.
• It should be unapologetically for adults. We love kids (and hey, we have 'em) but we want to go to a wine bar to drink wine and socialize with other adults, not wade through children wandering around or hear babies screaming.
  
• A great wine bar offers wine choices based on knowledge and selection, not national press. A wine that has a great marketing campaign belongs in chain restaurants and retailers, not in a wine bar.

Your thoughts? What makes a great wine bar?

Suggestions Needed for Wine Bars to Visit

If any of you know any wine bars you think we should check out, let us know.

We are always on the lookout for the next cool thing.

Wine Bar Research

There are really fun aspects to opening a wine bar, and one of them is visiting other wine bars to see how they do it. I learn so much just by walking into a place and having the imbibing experience. Two places I went last night with my brother Luke were Veritas and Sonoma, both in DC.

Veritas is a small, cozy, true wine bar located on Florida Avenue in the Dupont/Logan Circle area. The atmosphere is dark, sleek and sexy offset by a "rustic" brick wall that looked relatively new. The bar curves around nicely, and the clientèle looked to be professional 20 and 30 somethings. They have an extensive by the glass list, and a menu of flights which I loved. The wines are thoughtfully selected, and we found an unexpected treasure, a California Mourvedre by Jade Mountain. At $7 we found a serious bargain, and that brings me to price. The prices are high, and it could be I had Fredericksburg to DC sticker shock, then again they just might high. Overall it was a pleasant experience and I would certainly return.
Sonoma is really more of a restaurant with an excellent wine list. This place is located on Capitol Hill, my childhood home, and the space is really beautiful. The owners did an amazing job with the look and feel of the place. The menu focuses on local and sustainable foods (right up my alley) and the food is flat out delicious.
I had the beet salad ($10) pictured to the left, and it was so delicious I wanted to lick the plate clean. The whole meal and dining experience was great, but that was just it, it was a dining experience, not a wine experience. I would however, highly recommend the place as it was yumm-y.