Side Dish has learned that a popular New York City restaurant has become a literal hole-in-the-wall, serving Merlot, Syrah, and other vintages through a drinkable “wine window.”
Eric Griego and Austin Woolridge, owners of Please Tell Me More, have turned to the restaurant for centuries as a way to increase revenue at a time when bars in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, are closed, especially for private events. The long-standing concept of wine windows has been abandoned.
The 500-square-foot restaurant, located at 749 Metropolitan Avenue, has 28 seats inside and 16 outside. Last month, it was named one of New York’s 10 Most Fun Bars. – Artist: The Infatuation.
“We were talking about windows and wanted to do something kitschy, like bringing in a DJ, but the chef was adamant that we should be known in the neighborhood for our charming outdoor space and wine windows.” ,” Griego told Sidedish. .
Griego and Wooldridge, CEO and co-founder of Players Lounge, first met at startup accelerator Y Combinator in 2017 before opening the restaurant last fall.
Both of them are also part-time DJs, and their love of music is evident in the lounge, which is modeled after a Japanese listening room.
The bar hosts “Wine Wednesdays,” a wine-and-record pairing showcasing lesser-known blends like Japanese Syrah and Mexican Merlot.
The new wine window will be open from April 10th from brunch to dinner on weekends.
Prices range from $9 for a glass of house wine to $10 to $15 for organic wine.
The bar will serve wine and beets in sealed cups to avoid violating the city’s open carry law.
“We have these weird resealable containers that look like wine glasses,” says Griego, CEO and co-founder of Betterfin, a platform that helps small business owners raise capital.
Patrons who order to-go wine from the storefront are required by state law to also order small but hearty snacks, such as charcuterie-style sandwiches.
The restaurant’s famous craft cocktails are not available for take-out orders.
“We want this point of contact to be responsive. We’re not a mixology bar, but we’re still pretty hands-on with our cocktails,” Griego said.
The wine window, or bouchette del vino, was born out of necessity in the 1600s when Florence was devastated by the plague and New York approved drink-to-go laws to help restaurants survive. It has been replicated by states during the coronavirus pandemic.
But it was in 2015 that three Florentines launched Associazione Buchette del Vino. According to reports, there are about 150 of them in Florence’s old town, with another 100 found across Tuscany.
“The wine windows in Florence are very small, just big enough to fit your hand and wine glass through,” says Griego.
“It was like quarantine before quarantine. We’re paying homage to that.”
However, restaurants may not be able to keep their wine windows open for long.
The state’s drink-to-go program is set to expire next April, but food and wine industry lobbyists are pushing to make it permanent.
The policy was abruptly repealed in 2021, but reinstated the following year after protests from the powerful Hospitality Alliance and restaurant owners.
“Take-out drinks were so important during the pandemic, and since then, they have been equally important for consumers and restaurants alike, so making this popular policy permanent makes sense and helps us all It’s something we can support,” said Executive Director Andrew Riggie. A member of the NYC Hospitality Alliance.
