On Friday, Las Olas Wine Cafe opened at 922 Las Olas Blvd., the newest holding of the Weston Group, the folks behind East City Grill, UtterSweets, and DelVecchio's Pizzeria.
Enomatic wine machines shape
an initial experience, during which customers load Smart Cards and
insert them at wine stations for samples, tastes, or glasses at three price points. Bottle service at tables is available, as are
bottles for take-home. It's a shop and a restaurant that specializes in
boutique vintners.
The menu showcases cold and hot sandwiches ($7 to $10), soups and salads ($7 to $9), tapas ($6 to $10), and
cheese plates ($6 to $22), says manager Walter Ruano. Each menu item is listed with a
complementing grape, such as Noni's chicken salad -- with asiago cheese,
Granny Smiths, raisins, pine nuts, basil, and mixed greens -- paired with
Chardonnay.
The concept is similar to Seventh Street Wine Co., a space that's
been under renovation for what some say has been too long. With the
opening of New River Pizza in the space next door at week's end, a
catering deal in the works means Seventh Street Wine Co. may soon double
its food offerings. According to an employee, the negotiations for a
partnership are still in the works.
Are Las Olas Wine Cafe and Seventh Street Wine competing shops, or does the Las Olas Wine Cafe's location ensure it's more of a tourist
destination?
Las Olas Wine Cafe
922 Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
954-760-1882
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