The Wine Thief
Solid Grounds turned out to be the ideal location for the two, with just the right layout for carrying out their plan. The plan? It's going to be a 2000 sq' wine and beer lounge with fireplace, central crescent bar, high ceilings, wine lockers, tricked-out bathrooms, and a temperature controlled glass 500-bottle wine room. The owners are planning on knocking out the existing wall that separates the neighboring storefront. Even with the expansion, the plan is to keep it a cozy wine and beer-lover's paradise. Guests will be able to order off the wine list or store their own bottles on site. The streamlined menu will consist of small plate foods ranging from cheese pairings to cured meats. "Everything will be fresh and seasonal. We want to support the local community when it comes to the food and desserts. We're going to have a very eclectic beer list... we love beer and wine and feel that this location is the perfect place to share this idea with the community. We've been looking for a location for a year and half and believe that this is a friendly, welcoming neighborhood. We're excited to be a part of the community. We're going to have an outdoor patio that will be open much later in the season... and it will open in early spring. Buffalo should appreciate the cold weather... we've seen ski towns where cold weather brings people together. If people get too cold they can come in and warm up by the fireplace. We're also excited to be on the sunny side of the street (in the evening). We're going to be opening at 4pm, so we'll capture all that evening sun."
*Wine Thief: A sampling tube made of either glass or plastic with a narrow opening at each end. The tube is used to get a sample of wine from a barrel.
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Comment Options
BROKEEPSBLOCKINGME
great idea... warm and cozy is ideal
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Perry
Yeah, it does sound like a neat idea.
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SLEEPL8
Sounds nice. I will be sure to stop in for a drink when they open.
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mpitman
Don't forget to patronize Astoria on the same corner. It's one of my all time Buffalo favorites, very personalized service and EXCELLENT food.
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bison716
NIce! Keep it moving.
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Frankenberry
I wonder what their eclectic beer list will be like.
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BROKEEPSBLOCKINGME
Genny Cream, Pabst, Old Sqwauker, and Coors Urine Light?
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ShampooGirl
I still miss Solid Grounds, but this place sounds cool.
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tudorguy
This is great - and good for Astoria, too! I went to a wine bar and cafe in Seattle, very glad to have one here!
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McGowan
This reminds me a little like The Blue Tusk in Syracuse - which has had a huge following for a number of years offering a similar service (minus the wine lockers and fanciness...).
Let's hope for growlers and casks on the beer front...
Can't wait - sounds awesome...
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cire
This sounds great, I was in Italy in September and these types of places are everywhere. I came home thinking that we needed one in Buffalo. I will certainly spend some time there!
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TheWhyNotGuy
My grandfather used to make his own wine, and it was my job to go down cellar and use the "wine thief" to fill the bottle from the cask. Nobody seemed to care that I was only four years old.
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galaxyjay
wooohooo
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LanyV
Cant wait! Are they expanding into another tenant space? Or is this wall and storefront within the current space?
"The owners are planning on knocking out the existing wall that separates the neighboring storefront."
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AvaRouge
Paging Elmwood Sally, I'm sure she has something insightful to say....
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TheWhyNotGuy
Paging Elmwood Sally, I'm sure she has something insightful to say....
Sally is busy at the moment so she asked me to fill in.
*ahem*
You're all idiots! Elmwood is dead! I drove down Elmwood one time and there was a vacant storefront! I was laughing so hard I ran a red light and took out a bus shelter! And everyone knows dented bus shelters are the signs of a dead street!
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Joshua
@TheWhyNotGuy --- You only drove down Elmwood once? You base your sole opinion on Elmwood b/c there is one vacant storefront? Man I haven't seen this much negativity in a while.
I'm quite sure you don't even live in the City. Please re-think what you post.
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Eisen
Sarcasm escapes many people on the internet Joshua. Happens to the best of us bud! :)
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TheWhyNotGuy
Hmm. Next time I'll have to hire a skywriter to spell out "satire" in fifty foot letters over Joshua's house.
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Joshua
*ahem*
...over Joshua's apartment.... I don't have a house yet.
It is difficult to see and tell sarcasm in text.
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Joshua
Guys - I'm so focused on the positive things in Buffalo, when there is sarcasm, it flyes over my head. I guess I get a little defensive, since I love Buffalo City.
Anyhow, since I have your attention - I'm thinking about getting my parents a gift certificate to Bel Cibo on Elmwood... Has anyone eaten there yet?
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TheWhyNotGuy
Really? I thought I was being obvious. I guess I wasn't.
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LivingForge
Joshua: It helps to know that commenter "Sally" usually shows up on the Elmwood business posts to relentlessly proclaim the death of Elmwood, and that's what WhyNot was parodying.
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Digginit
Who are the owners of this new (totally cool) place? Do they have previous restaurant/bar experience? When is the target opening date? Soon I hope - I have been wishing for this type of lounge in the City for many years!
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Quinn
Joshua - I ate at Bel Cibo and really liked it.
Folks, now there will be TWO destinations on Elmwood for unusual beers - now that's my criteria for being named a top 10 neighborhood!!
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Steve
McGowan - If it's anything like the Blue Tusk in Syracuse that would rock!
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Sundial
This is wonderful news, I'm glad to see that corner so rapidly occupied.
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rb66
Gret idea!
Beer, wine and a fireplace on a Buffalo winter night. It doesn't get any better than that.
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rb66
Oops, I meant GREAT, not gret.
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orchards
Sounds like my kind of place--and within a few blocks of me!
Can't wait for it to be open--I'll be there right as you unlock the doors.
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wizardofza
Sounds like the perfect place to take Sally on a first date to.
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Joshua
Living Forge - thank you for the heads up. Quinn thanks also!
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icecreamsub
can't wait to sample the fine selection of carmel pumpkin micros...or whatever else those beer snobs are fancy to these days....in all seriousness, this place sounds pretty good but what I've really been hoping for is an authentic "as possible" (realizing it will never be total authentic) English Pub. Something that offers great beer and is completely unpretentious....same spirit as The Sterling Place without the glitz.
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Metropolis
I miss their breakfast already.
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penaltykic
Looking forward to this new spot. I believe in the elmwood community and support it!!!!!
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McGowan
http://www.bluetusk.com/
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ILuvNickelCity
It's good to see something so unique being planned for my all time favorite building on Elmwood.
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buffalocat
Any word as to whether they'll be offering wine by the glass? Maybe that's what Blue Tusk does? The Wine Bar in Chapel Hill, NC was great because they had about 50 wines by the glass in rotating taps, ranging in price from $3 - $15/glass. It was nice for those of us who wanted to try different wines but couldn't drink or afford the entire bottle. It was always packed. But I visited a wine bar in Portland, ME this summer that only had 6 wines by the glass, and all were $8 and up. Not quite as fun...but it'd be great if this place put in taps for wine.
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buffalocat
Any word as to whether they'll be offering wine by the glass? Maybe that's what Blue Tusk does? The Wine Bar in Chapel Hill, NC was great because they had about 50 wines by the glass in rotating taps, ranging in price from $3 - $15/glass. It was nice for those of us who wanted to try different wines but couldn't drink or afford the entire bottle. It was always packed. But I visited a wine bar in Portland, ME this summer that only had 6 wines by the glass, and all were $8 and up. Not quite as fun...but it'd be great if this place put in taps for wine.
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dntwrybout_it
Anyone know who the owner or owners are?
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cyclist
The Blue Tusk in Syracuse is more of a beer bar than a wine bar (personally, I prefer to drink my beer at Clark's round the corner for its more sedate environment). I hope the new place puts some effort into choosing interesting, good value wines on their by-the-glass list. There is a place on Chippewa that bills itself as a wine bar. It is a very pleasant place with tasty food, but the wine offerings have become increasingly blah and commercial since I have been going (almost walked out a few weeks ago due to the dull selections). Many places in Buffalo look like they have their wine lists made up by a liquor wholesaler (e.g. lots of stealth Gallo or Constellation wines).
Shango is one place doing beer and wine well. And Coles and (surprisingly) Goodbar have great beer selections these days.
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buffawhat
For the record, Solid Ground was the worst place to go for breakfast. The bagels were stale, coffee over priced, food mediocre, and the owner was unethical and hardly paid her employees. I'm glad she's gone, Everyone still went because you hoped that such a promising and cute atmosphere couldn't yield such harsh and lazy service everytime.
The only place on that block to go was and is Astoria, until they close in a few weeks because no one cares to go down there anymore, and those that love Astoria (like me) can't afford to go every freaking day to keep them open.
I heard musings of the wine bar from the local gossip on that block. It should be a good thing if they can pull it off. I'm more concerned about the sake of that building and the owners, though. Oh if walls could talk.
P.S. Sai One moved to 818 Elmwood, it didn't go out of business.
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zen
icecreamsub-You should check out The Angel Inn in Niagara-on-the-Lake for an authentic pub atmos. www.angel-inn.com/
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zen
icecreamsub-You should check out The Angel Inn in Niagara-on-the-Lake for an authentic pub atmos. I've taken home sick Brits there who loved it. www.angel-inn.com/
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Joshua
how did my rating go up on a misunderstanding? ....interesting from one of my previous comments.
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stephenjames716
looks great, when is the projected opening date?
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GoldenLark
I used to live in Saratoga Springs. We had a place called The Wine Bar with a similar concept. I loved it, and it was very popular. Absolutely packed on summer nights. I hope The Wine Thief has the same success!
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RisingDamp666
If they pour Yellowtail Cab Merlot, they can still call themselves "Solid Grounds", heh. heh.
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McGowan
The Tusk does offer wine by the glass - they attempted to do a full wine bar for a time but I am not sure if they have kept it...
Clark's Ale House isn't bad - great sandwiches...
Syracuse seemed to have many more beer bars than Buffalo really does - it seems the focus in Buffalo is so much on Labatts, people can't pry themselves away to try something different.
Between this and the Village Beer Merchent, things are looking up for the Buffalo beer snobs...
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vgs
cyclist - If I am thinking of the same place on Chippewa I had a great Croze-Hermitage by the glass and a Muscadet from Loire Valley. I also dug that they had three sparkling wines by the glass to choose from, including the best made Cava from Spain.
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ST79
I heard that it was actually going to be a national franchise chain. Much in the way of Hooters and some other franchise restaurants where all of the menu’s and wines are shipped in from out of town. It can have all of the luxuries listed in the article but it depends on the space they have available and how much they want to invest into it. The only local connection is the people that put up the money. Yeah, it’s a new business, but do we really want a franchise with owners who never come into the city.
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AtwaterLouse
ST79 - Why not? Even if that's true (who knows?), what difference should it make if it's a national chain whose owners aren't located here?
In the city currently, many Buffalonians like having Wegmans, Starbucks, Target, the Buffalo Sabres, Bank of America, Kinkos, Home Depot, Office Max, Spot Coffee, Blockbuster Video, and so on, each of which has owners elsewhere. If those are ok, why shouldn't this be? Do you oppose those being here?
Are you also against Buffalo-owned companies ever expanding their operations to other cities, states, or countries? If that's ok, why shouldn't this be?
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RisingDamp666
...Not to mention that when Buffalonians fill their cars with gas, they do so at outposts of ExxonMobil, Sunoco, and others that are based in such non-Buffalo places as The Woodlands TX, Philadelphia, and (gasp!) London. You're giving it all away to Enemies Of Local and for such despicable acts of treason, you should be banished from the roads and forced to ride Metro Rail to a cold, chilly, windswept transit mall location dotted with empty 40oz bottles and mystery-stained copies of the News.
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AtwaterLouse
Damp is right. So-called free trade with the rest of the U.S. is allowing Enemies of Local to infiltrate our city with rent and tax payments, wages, and offers to exchange their goods and services for our hard earned Buffalo money. We've slowly gotten used to this for gasoline, groceries, banking, and coffee - and now perhaps a wine lounge is sneaking up on us. Will a fence be enough to stop this madness, or do we need a wall? Maybe the wall could have a park on top with a few flights of stairs? Just a thought. I don't have any sketches.
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Epicurean
Dont you people have anything better to do thanndecipher where Buffalonians money should go ??? You all need to get a job and a life. Who cares if a great establshment has other than Buffalo roots. Do you enjoy the establishment ? Is it employing local people ? Are they doing business with local purveyors ?? Thats what is important
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Epicurean
Do you enjoy Black and Blue ??? That has other than Buffalo roots
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AtwaterLouse
Epicurean - Notice RisingDamp and I were both clearly joking in comments at the end. Only st79 seriously said it's a problem if they're owned elsewhere. Not bad if you consider there's a lot of comments and only one complained about that.
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