The Vinery
These guys have had a hard time of it, I’m afraid. They’ve only been open since mid-April. They don’t have a liquor license yet. They’ve been handing out free sangria to compensate, and I’ve still heard some complaints.
A group of seven of us went last week; very excited to try it out. I felt like I wanted to like it more than I really did. There were so many things that they did right, but such crucial things that they missed.
We sat out on the sidewalk with beautiful trees overhead and a very soothing atmosphere, despite the traffic on Roosevelt. The pizza oven was down, so we couldn’t try that most important staple food. The prosciutto panini, on the other hand, had a beautifully layered and textured taste.
Owner and chef Leonard Jay came out at the end to apologize for the oven being down. I wished him the best, but I couldn’t help sense that his less-than strong start was going to get the better of him. Still, it’s refreshing when restaurant owners take responsibility and attend to their customers.
To be fair, it was still considered a soft opening until May 1st. I hope they get the wrinkles out because I saw such great promise.
The Good: Great presentation, beautiful flavors.
The Bad: Still a little disorganized. Don’t give up yet.
The Ugly: “Could I get a little sangria in my water, please?”
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