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FeedEminently Tasteful
And you thought the food was excellent. But could it be that the beautiful interior design subtly enhances your palate? Energizes your conversation? Makes you tingle a bit? Two stunningly beautiful new restaurants show why dining is more than eating.
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“The bar is an open invite to sit and hang out,” Giroso says. “[Owner] Jim [Baeurle] educated me on how important it is to have the bar immediately visible so people looking for someone feel that they can just walk in and sit.”
A Cruvinet tap system that controls the temperature of every bottle poured “is important,” Giroso says. “Not too many restaurants are doing this.” So it is clearly visible to bar patrons. Her use of natural materials like wood, cork, iron, slate and brick contribute to the overall feeling of warmth.
Toward the rear is a space for dedicated foodies who wish to take full advantage of the sophisticated wine and food pairings. Indeed, in the mezzanine, patrons can dine in full view of the wine, which is neatly shelved in a glass-fronted storage area.
Though each area has a separate function and feel, they’re united by rustic earth tones and well-placed touches, such as an elegant stone archway crafted of granite reclaimed from the original Stone Balloon building and a curved staircase that ascends to the lofty mezzanine. Overhead lighting seems non-existent. Most illumination is subtle: a row of tiny lights up the stairway, candlelit tables, the accent lights of the wine cabinets. The atmosphere is at once urbane and traditionally European.
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