Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Vine & Tap Hoping to Find Success in Failed Pizza Shop

Vine & Tap will soon open at Lenox Village on Lenox Road. 

Ian Mendelsohn and wife Susan plan to open Vine & Tap in the former Pizzeria Venti space of the small Buckhead success shopping center.  Pizzeria Venti closed in late March after an extended period on my DeathWatch

Mendelsohn previously lived in New York where he was sommelier at Windows on the World at the top of the World Trade Center and ran the wine department at Christie’s Auction House. He then moved to Las Vegas to open the Wynn Hotel and served as Wine Director of the Mirage Hotel & Casino. Most recently, Mendelsohn was Beverage Director at the St. Regis Buckhead.

Mendelsohn contacted me prior to signing the lease for this space and sought input as to how the space could become a success.  I spoke to the parking and visibility issues as well as the commoditization of pizza.  Given that there is little to be done about visibility or parking, Mendelsohn plans to differentiate his product and make full use of what he says was a spacious, but underutilized, outdoor patio.

Mendelsohn hopes to open in mid-late June but of course all will hinge upon the permitting process and other factors, often beyond the control of the proprietors. 

Vine & Tap will feature both beer and wine as well as small plates.  Mendelsohn hopes to be more like Barcelona (the Conneticut-based wine bar & tapas eatery with a successful Inman Park location) and less like The Grape (an Atlanta-based concept that once had multiple locations in numerous states and today has few, if any, still in existence)

The restaurant will offer patrons six beers on tap, mainly from Georgia, and 15-20 by the bottle from elsewhere. The food menu will emphasis locally sourced ingredients whenever possible and will be Mediterranean focused.   The menu will be comprised of assorted cheese, charcuterie, oysters, pannini, bruschetta, small bites and desserts.

Do you think this Vine & Tap will be quick to sour like The Grape or will it become Buckhead's Barcelona? What single menu item or wine would you like to find on the menu at Vine & Tap?  What is your favorite eatery in Lenox Village?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tell them to look into DC based Cava Mezze for tips on the concept! Flaming cheese - amazing!

Anonymous said...

Impressive credentials, but still a crappy location. Good Luck!

Anonymous said...

You can't change how bad that location is... some of the worst parking... But I wish them luck and will give them a try!

Jenna S. said...

Well, the location is great for those who live in the vicinity, like me! So I am excited for another restaurant in that plaza and hope that they find success there. Thanks for the post!

Anonymous said...

Parking not as bad since they expanded the lot, and if Roasters can find success, no reason to believe T&V can't also.

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