EATS

FOOD & DRINK FOOD & DRINK

Cocktail bar Anjou is located in East Walnut Hills.

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER Cocktail bar Anjou is located in East Walnut Hills.

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER Head to East Walnut Hills’ Branch for inventive pasta dishes.

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER Head to East Walnut Hills’ Branch for inventive pasta dishes.

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

O’Bryonville’s The Bonbonerie is one of the most beloved bakeries in Cincinnati.

PHOTO: FACEBOOK.COM/BONBONERIE O’Bryonville’s The Bonbonerie is one of the most beloved bakeries in Cincinnati.

PHOTO: FACEBOOK.COM/BONBONERIE Madison Road Features Top Dining Destinations Madison Road Features Top Dining Destinations A stretch between East Walnut Hills and O’Bryonville o ers inventive meals, desserts and drinks. A stretch between East Walnut Hills and O’Bryonville o ers inventive meals, desserts and drinks. REVIEW BY PAMA MITCHELL

REVIEW BY PAMA MITCHELL

Madison Road – a major artery in Cincinnati – runs from Victory Parkway in Avondale out to Madisonville, passing through many neighborhoods along the way. And on a particular one-mile section between East Walnut Hills and O’Bryonville, locals can nd some of the best eats and drinks in town.

Here, there are a couple of wine bars, a cocktail lounge, sweet treats, creative burgers, excellent co ee, authentic Asian and South American food and a young chef producing inventive pasta dishes for every season.

at would be Alessandro Urbisci, executive chef at Branch (1535 Madison Rd., eatatbranch.com) since last fall. His pasta creations range from light and refreshing to hearty and lling, always with a careful eye on the season. Summer menu standouts include gnocchi with sun-dried tomato pesto, house ricotta and preserved lemon, as well as spinach tagliatelle sauced with gorgonzola, braised pork and toasty breadcrumbs gently seasoned with Calabrian chili. e latter is plate-licking good.

Urbisci has a talent for sauces of all kinds, and not only on pasta dishes. Even the whipped balsamic butter served with toasted bread from Allez Bakery had us asking for more. And I loved the tomato-based concoction that accompanied an entrée of branzino, although I would have preferred the sh let served whole rather than cut up into pieces. New York strip steak and pork ribs are two meaty main courses, if you’re looking for something more substantial.

Across from Branch on Madison is another highly regarded eatery, the Japanese restaurant and bakery Café Mochiko (1524 Madison Rd., cafemochiko.com). Running for less than

Madison Road – a major artery in Cincinnati – runs from Victory Parkway in Avondale out to Madisonville, passing through many neighborhoods along the way. And on a particular one-mile section between East Walnut Hills and O’Bryonville, locals can nd some of the best eats and drinks in town. Here, there are a couple of wine bars, a cocktail lounge, sweet treats, creative burgers, excellent co ee, authentic Asian and South American food and a young chef producing inventive pasta dishes for every season. a year, the bakery often attracts long lines on the four mornings a week the walk-up window is open. With the easing of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the café itself usually is available, as well, if you want to sit and scarf up some of the sweet and savory treats along with a cup of strong coffee or other drink. e ube halaya croissant that bursts with purple yam jam and cream is killer, and it’s so large and decadent that I’ve always had to cut it into slices and share with at least one other person. During evenings, Mochiko serves what its website calls “Japanese café

at would be Alessandro Urbisci, executive chef at Branch (1535 Madison Rd., eatatbranch.com) since last fall. His pasta creations range from light and refreshing to hearty and lling, always with a careful eye on the season. Summer menu standouts include gnocchi with sun-dried tomato pesto, house ricotta and preserved lemon, as well as spinach tagliatelle sauced with gorgonzola, braised pork and toasty breadcrumbs gently seasoned with Calabrian chili. e latter is plate-licking good.

Urbisci has a talent for sauces of all kinds, and not only on pasta dishes. Even the whipped balsamic butter served with toasted bread from Allez Bakery had us asking for more. And I loved the tomato-based concoction that accompanied an entrée of branzino, although I would have preferred the sh let served whole rather than cut up into pieces. New York strip steak and pork ribs are two meaty main courses, if you’re looking for something more substantial.

Across from Branch on Madison is another highly regarded eatery, the Japanese restaurant and bakery Café Mochiko (1524 Madison Rd., cafemochiko.com). Running for less than a year, the bakery often attracts long lines on the four mornings a week the walk-up window is open. With the easing of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the café itself usually is available, as well, if you want to sit and scarf up some of the sweet and savory treats along with a cup of strong coffee or other drink. e ube halaya croissant that bursts with purple yam jam and cream is killer, and it’s so large and decadent that I’ve always had to cut it into slices and share with at least one other person. During evenings, Mochiko serves what its website calls “Japanese café

O’Bryonville’s Bean & Barley is a neighborhood staple for coffee and drinks.

PHOTO: FACEBOOK.COM/BEANANDBARLEYOBRYONVILLE O’Bryonville’s Bean & Barley is a neighborhood staple for coffee and drinks.

PHOTO: FACEBOOK.COM/BEANANDBARLEYOBRYONVILLE

Obryonville’s Ché Empanadas y Mas features empanadas.

PHOTO: FACEBOOK.COM/CHECINCINNATI Obryonville’s Ché Empanadas y Mas features empanadas.

PHOTO: FACEBOOK.COM/CHECINCINNATI

Symposium is one of the newest additions to Madison Road.

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER Symposium is one of the newest additions to Madison Road.

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

fare,” from excellent ramen to an entree I loved called Shitake Don—a tasty mushroom dish served over Tamaki Gold rice. e newest addition to this stretch of Madison is a corner café called Symposium (2835 Woodburn Ave., symposiumcafe.com). Helmed by chef Aaron Owen, Symposium bills itself as a cantina as well as a wine bar. It’s only been around for a couple of months and recently closed for two weeks to give sta a summer vacation while Owen went overseas for his wedding and to tour

fare,” from excellent ramen to an entree I loved called Shitake Don—a tasty mushroom dish served over Tamaki Gold rice. e newest addition to this stretch of Madison is a corner café called Symposium (2835 Woodburn Ave., symposiumcafe.com). Helmed by chef Aaron Owen, Symposium bills itself as a cantina as well as a wine bar. It’s only been around for a couple of months and recently closed for two weeks to give sta a summer vacation while Owen went overseas for his wedding and to tour Italian wine regions. Owen has been experimenting with a variety of small plates to accompany daytime co ee drinks and evening libations. I’ve enjoyed a few of the house cocktails but was disappointed in the small selection of wines by the glass. Symposium has a lot going for it, including a large covered patio and well designed indoor seating. But the “wine bar” label may not apply if, as we discovered one Friday night, an establishment o ers only one red, one white and a Prosecco by the glass.

Italian wine regions.

Owen has been experimenting with a variety of small plates to accompany daytime co ee drinks and evening libations. I’ve enjoyed a few of the house cocktails but was disappointed in the small selection of wines by the glass. Symposium has a lot going for it, including a large covered patio and well designed indoor seating. But the “wine bar” label may not apply if, as we discovered one Friday night, an establishment o ers only one red, one white and a Prosecco by the glass.

Japanese restaurant and bakery Café Mochiko has a notable ube halaya croissant.

PHOTO: MAGGY MCDONEL Japanese restaurant and bakery Café Mochiko has a notable ube halaya croissant.

Hello Honey recently opened its East Walnut Hills location.

PHOTO: FACEBOOK.COM/HELLOHONEYICECREAM

For what I think of as a true wine bar experience, head a mile east to O’Bryonville and try Tim Shumrick’s new bar and retail wine shop, Annata (2021 Madison Rd., searchable on social media). Shumrick spent the past year or more renovating and updating the building that once housed Chateau Pomije, which he also owned. At Annata, you can select from a couple dozen wines by the glass or bottle, with or without cheese, Mediterranean or charcuterie plates. House-smoked meats and sh add a special touch to those plates. Create your own wine ight by choosing three three-ounce pours of any of the wines on the list.

I found the sta to be knowledgeable not only about the glass pours but also when we browsed the adjacent retail room. You can sit inside in the air conditioning or on a pleasant elevated back deck on the shadier side of the building. e best-known place in O’Bryonville has to be e BonBonerie (2030 Madison Rd., bonbonnerie.com), possibly the most famous bakery in Cincinnati. Co-owned by Mary Pat Pace and Sharon Butler for more than 30 years, BonBonerie’s opera cream torte has graced many tables for birthdays, anniversaries and other occasions. I remember my best friend and I took our mothers to Bonbonerie for afternoon tea with all the trimmings 15 or 20 years ago, and you can still do that in the BonBonerie Café and Tearoom. e holiday goodies are phenomenal, for anksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah or Easter. Brunch/ lunch is served six days a week, so it doesn’t have to be a special occasion to partake.

Another recent addition is the O’Bryonville location of Over-theRhine’s empanadas house, Ché Empanadas y Mas (3009 O’Bryon St., cheempsymas.com). e business has done a beautiful job transforming the interior of a nondescript building into a truly convivial restaurant and bar.

One of my favorite café/bar combos is Bean & Barley (2005½ Madison Rd., beanandbarley.co), also in O’Bryonville. About a year before the COVID-19 pandemic, a couple of local entrepreneurs gutted and renovated the B&B building on Madison, creating an open, airy space with outdoor seating and a thoroughly modern ambiance. It’s a pleasant place to hang out, and the emphasis on what its website calls “the craftmanship of local co ee roasters, brewers, bakers and artists” de nitely adds to its charms. Bean & Barley is one of those neighborhood places you wish was in your ‘hood and that you will go out of your way for when the opportunity arises.

Also of note is a new branch of the ice cream shop Hello Honey (1530 Madison Rd., hellohoneyicecream. com), which closed a downtown location around the time it opened in East Walnut Hills. I’ve learned not to fall in love with a particular avor there because the avors change with lightning speed. I’ve also learned to have them pack a pint or two of a heartthrob avor.

Heyday (1527 Madison Rd., heyday. menu), next door to Branch, dishes out burgers, fries, and slices of seriously good pie – as you’d expect from an establishment hailing from the owners of O Pie O. Around the corner on Woodburn, check out the classy little cocktail bar Anjou (2804 Woodburn Ave., anjoucinci.com) as well as Woodburn Brewing (2800 Woodburn Ave., woodburnbrewing.com), which along with highly regarded beer also features spirits made by Cincinnati Distilling plus a terri c cocktail list.

EATS EATS Cincinnati Restaurateurs Reluctantly Weave Inflation Cincinnati Restaurateurs Reluctantly Weave Inflation into Ordering, Pricing

into Ordering, Pricing BY SEAN M. PETERS

BY SEAN M. PETERS

Jose Salazar is a James Beard Award-nominated chef and owner of many Queen City establishments, including Goose & Elder and Salazar Restaurant.

PHOTO: GINA WEATHERSBY Jose Salazar is a James Beard Award-nominated chef and owner of many Queen City establishments, including Goose & Elder and Salazar Restaurant.

PHOTO: GINA WEATHERSBY

Prices are up just about everywhere these days and, as a result, the e ects range from mildly irritating to downright untenable. Yes, gasoline prices have increased nearly 60% over a 12-months period, but American spending also has been hit hard at the grocery store, where overall food costs have risen by 10.4%, the most signi cant annual rise since 1981, according to data that the U.S. Bureau of Lator Statistics released July 13. Consumers across the board are a ected when food costs more at the grocery store, but local restaurateurs face di culty on a much larger scale in an industry known for razor-thin pro t margins. Below, three notable Queen City culinary tastemakers tell CityBeat about how they’re navigating steep P rices are up just about everywhere these days and, as a result, the e ects range from mildly irritating to downright untenable. Yes, gasoline prices have increased nearly 60% over a 12-months period, but American spending also has been hit hard at the grocery store, where overall food costs have risen by 10.4%, the most signi cant annual rise since 1981, according to data that the U.S. Bureau of Lator Statistics released July 13. Consumers across the board are a ected when food costs more at the grocery store, but local restaurateurs face di culty on a much larger scale in an industry known for razor-thin pro t margins. Below, three notable Queen City culinary tastemakers tell CityBeat about how they’re navigating steep in ation. in ation.

JOSE SALAZAR JOSE SALAZAR

Jose Salazar has earned the respect and admiration of Cincinnati diners and beyond with his culinary talent, managing some of the city’s most highly acclaimed restaurants. e James Beard Award-nominated chef soon will open Daylily, a co ee-delibodega in Columbia Tusculum and is the proprietor of Mita’s (Spanish-style tapas and ceviche), Goose & Elder (old-school American) and the titular Salazar Restaurant (inventive-yetfamiliar takes on farm-fresh seasonal ingredients).

“We’re really not turning a pro t. It’s because of the increased cost of goods and labor — basically, everything. You need a piece of equipment repaired? It’s 30% more than it was a year or two ago. You need a new refrigerator, it’s 50%. It’s all related,” Salazar tells CityBeat. “Gas prices, for the labor, for those folks that are making the fridges and repairing the fridges, all those things are coupled with the cost of goods for us in our business. So, it’s super, super di cult.”

How to handle the increased cost of goods is tricky and can be a matter of optics, Salazar says. After talking with other local chefs, he says there’s a lot of hesitation to signi cantly raise prices to meet cost of goods and labor because restaurateurs risk pricing themselves out of the market.

“It’s a terrible Catch-22 because we’re basically operating net or at a loss in many cases, and the prices should be substantially higher,” Salazar says. “But I get it as a consumer myself. It’s not like us restaurant tourists don’t go out to eat and don’t go to the grocery store and don’t go to the gas tank and all that stu . So, we totally understand that sticker shock when you go into a restaurant and see a $30 entree or you see an

Jose Salazar has earned the respect and admiration of Cincinnati diners and beyond with his culinary talent, managing some of the city’s most highly acclaimed restaurants. e James Beard Award-nominated chef soon will open Daylily, a co ee-delibodega in Columbia Tusculum and is the proprietor of Mita’s (Spanish-style tapas and ceviche), Goose & Elder (old-school American) and the titular Salazar Restaurant (inventive-yetfamiliar takes on farm-fresh seasonal ingredients). “We’re really not turning a pro t. It’s because of the increased cost of goods $18 sandwich. e reality is that $18 sandwich should be a $24 sandwich in order for us to be pro table.” Salazar says he has had to shop around a lot more to nd reasonable prices for ingredients, especially with his menus’ emphasis on quality fresh sh. While Salazar previously was able to depend on various sources consistently, he’s now directly dealing with shers in Florida and on the East Coast for the best prices, meaning he’s putting more work into procuring the same standard of ingredients he’s known for. and labor — basically, everything. You need a piece of equipment repaired? It’s 30% more than it was a year or two ago. You need a new refrigerator, it’s 50%. It’s all related,” Salazar tells CityBeat. “Gas prices, for the labor, for those folks that are making the fridges and repairing the fridges, all those things are coupled with the cost of goods for us in our business. So, it’s super, super di cult.” How to handle the increased cost of goods is tricky and can be a matter of optics, Salazar says. After talking with other local chefs, he says there’s a lot of hesitation to signi cantly raise prices to meet cost of goods and labor because restaurateurs risk pricing themselves out of the market. “It’s a terrible Catch-22 because we’re basically operating net or at a loss in many cases, and the prices should be substantially higher,” Salazar says. “But I get it as a consumer myself. It’s not like us restaurant tourists don’t go out to eat and don’t go to the grocery store and don’t go to the gas tank and all that stu . So, we totally understand that sticker shock when you go into a restaurant and see a $30 entree or you see an $18 sandwich. e reality is that $18 sandwich should be a $24 sandwich in order for us to be pro table.” Salazar says he has had to shop around a lot more to nd reasonable prices for ingredients, especially with his menus’ emphasis on quality fresh sh. While Salazar previously was able to depend on various sources consistently, he’s now directly dealing with shers in Florida and on the East Coast for the best prices, meaning he’s putting more work into procuring the same standard of ingredients he’s known for.

HIDEKI “KIKI” HARADA

HIDEKI “KIKI” HARADA Hideki Harada is owner and chef of Hideki Harada is owner and chef of the ramen and Japanese comfort food spot Kiki College Hill and proprietor of the newly opened Sen by Kiki, a sh stand at Findlay Market. Harada the ramen and Japanese comfort food spot Kiki College Hill and proprietor of the newly opened Sen by Kiki, a sh stand at Findlay Market. Harada mentions cost-related issues raised by mentions cost-related issues raised by

Salazar and notes that food distribuSalazar and notes that food distributors have increased the minimum cost of orders to be delivered to the restaurant. “ e heartache I have with some of my old purveyors is, all of a sudden, they [previously] had a $150 minimum; it now is, like, a $300 minimum. And I’m not going to be able to do that,” Harada says. “At Kiki, we’re a 65-seat restaurant. We’re not going to meet those minimums every day or every week. I can’t just buy everything at the beginning of the week and then have my ngers crossed to sell everything by the end of the week. We can’t rely on that.” As a result of those high-priced minimum orders, Harada and owners/chefs at other similarly sized restaurants have had to disengage with several companies they once depended upon for ingredients. Harada gures the distributors have increased the minimums because of a shortage of delivery drivers coupled with higher gas prices, and the “little guys” have no chance to compete with larger corporate restaurants. “ ey just keep feeding the big giants and then little people just resort to [buying] from local places. Maybe we’re paying a little more premium, but you can also handpick your items as well. So there might be a good trade o ,” Harada says. “It’s turning into, I think, a more localized economy when you have these problems that happen. It makes sense for me to just walk over to Roth Produce to grab lemons. It’s great to have this little ecosystem here. And, you know, I know a lot of other vendors or businesses do the same thing, so it’s kind of cool. It might be a little more expensive than buying half a case of lemons and sitting on it, but I get to pick every lemon that I use. Sometimes [distributors] would deliver a rotten case and you can’t do anything tors have increased the minimum cost of orders to be delivered to the restaurant. “ e heartache I have with some of my old purveyors is, all of a sudden, they [previously] had a $150 minimum; it now is, like, a $300 minimum. And I’m not going to be able to do that,” Harada says. “At Kiki, we’re a 65-seat restaurant. We’re not going to meet those minimums every day or every week. I can’t just buy everything at the beginning of the week and then have my ngers crossed to sell everything by the end of the week. We can’t rely on that.” As a result of those high-priced minimum orders, Harada and owners/chefs at other similarly sized restaurants have had to disengage with several companies they once depended upon for ingredients. Harada gures the distributors have increased the minimums because of a shortage of delivery drivers coupled with higher gas prices, and the “little guys” have no chance to compete with larger corporate restaurants. “ ey just keep feeding the big giants and then little people just resort to [buying] from local places. Maybe we’re paying a little more premium, but you can also handpick your items as well. So there might be a good trade o ,” Harada says. “It’s turning into, I think, a more localized economy when you have these problems that happen. It makes sense for me to just walk over to Roth Produce to grab lemons. It’s great to have this little ecosystem here. And, you know, I know a lot of other vendors or businesses do the same thing, so it’s kind of cool. It might be a little more expensive than buying half a case of lemons and sitting on it, but I get to pick every lemon that I use. Sometimes [distributors] would deliver a rotten case and you can’t do anything with that.” with that.”

RYAN MORGAN RYAN MORGAN

Head baker for Sixteen Bricks Bakery, which has provided nationally acclaimed artisanal bread for the past eleven years, Ryan Morgan also is opening a bakery/pizzeria in College Hill called El Camino in the restaurant space formerly occupied by Red Rose Jems Pizzeria.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price of our has risen by nearly 20%, but Morgan is

staying a step ahead with the ability to mill his own grain. “Flour — white commodity bullshit our — is now more expensive than whole grain grown in Kentucky,” says Morgan, who is a proponent for eating locally. “[In ation] is an interesting opportunity because I can keep prices down while feeding people real food.” Morgan says that commercially available white our from grocery stores loses all of the unique avor pro les that are found in stone milled whole grains and that commodity our’s nutrition is diminished as a result of processing. He also notes that local agriculture isn’t as seriously a ected by international crises. “It’s a huge opportunity to get people back to understanding what comes from me, rather than what comes from the fucking Ukraine on a boat,” Morgan says. While Morgan’s business relies on Head baker for Sixteen Bricks Bakery, which has provided nationally acclaimed artisanal bread for the past eleven years, Ryan Morgan also is opening a bakery/pizzeria in College much more than just our, the price of locally produced goods is not as devastatingly in ated as items that depend upon frequent or long-distance transportation, he says. Hill called El Camino in the restaurant space formerly occupied by Red Rose Jems Pizzeria.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price of our has risen by nearly 20%, but Morgan is staying a step ahead with the ability to mill his own grain. “Flour — white commodity bullshit our — is now more expensive than whole grain grown in Kentucky,” says Morgan, who is a proponent for eating locally. “[In ation] is an interesting opportunity because I can keep prices down while feeding people real food.” Morgan says that commercially available white our from grocery stores loses all of the unique avor pro les that are found in stone milled whole grains and that commodity our’s nutrition is diminished as a result of processing. He also notes that local agriculture isn’t as seriously a ected by international crises. “It’s a huge opportunity to get people back to understanding what comes from me, rather than what comes from the fucking Ukraine on a boat,” Morgan says. While Morgan’s business relies on much more than just our, the price of locally produced goods is not as devastatingly in ated as items that depend upon frequent or long-distance transportation, he says.

Hideki Harada owns Kiki College Hill and Sen by Kiki.

PHOTO: MAGGY MCDONEL Hideki Harada owns Kiki College Hill and Sen by Kiki.

PHOTO: MAGGY MCDONEL

Salazar, 1401 Republic St., Salazar, 1401 Republic St., Over-the-Rhine, salazarcincinnati.com Kiki College Hill, 5932 Hamilton Ave., College Hill, kikicincinnati.com Sixteen Bricks Bakery, 4760-B Paddock Road, Bond Hill, Over-the-Rhine, salazarcincinnati.com Kiki College Hill, 5932 Hamilton Ave., College Hill, kikicincinnati.com Sixteen Bricks Bakery, 4760-B Paddock Road, Bond Hill, sixteenbricks.com sixteenbricks.com

Ryan Morgan is head baker for Sixteen Bricks Bakery.

PHOTO: AARON CONWAY Ryan Morgan is head baker for Sixteen Bricks Bakery.

EATS Sip, Swirl and Savor at Annata Wine Bar in O’Bryonville

BY BRIAN CROSS

Annata Wine Bar and Cellar offers 25 wines by the glass, craft beer and light bites.

PHOTOS: MAGGY MCDONEL

Cincinnati is not as well known for its wine production as it is its beer, but thirsty locals are cultivating a maturing wine scene that has seen some great additions recently. In May, a local wine veteran popped the cork on his new venture, Annata Wine Bar and Cellar in O’Bryonville.

Owner Tim Shumrick has been in the wine industry for 40 years in the roles of restaurant and wine shop owner, distributor’s sales rep and retail manager. Notably, he owned and operated the wine shop and restaurant Chateau Pomije for over 30 years in the same space as Annata.

Eventually, Shumrick wanted a change of pace.

“After being in the restaurant business for many years, I got burned out on it and I sold the business to e Art of Entertaining,” Shumrick tells CityBeat by email. “ ey occupied the space for about 15 years until COVID19 came along and put an end to that.”

Since Shumrick owned the building, he was left with a couple of empty storefronts and no prospective tenants. Falling back on what had worked before, he decided to revive the retail wine shop concept, opting for a wine bar in the additional space instead of a full restaurant.

“My concept has been all along that I want it to be a neighborhood stop – more along the lines of a wine Cheers-type place,” he says, referring to the 1980’s TV sitcom bar “where everybody knows your name.”

Annata’s bar currently features about 25 wines by the glass plus a few craft beers and bottled domestic beers. To make the lineup, Shumrick says they not only have to taste great but also should represent the varietal well and be a good value.

“We taste everything that we put on the bar and select them due to the quality, value and uniqueness of the wine, like the Voché Reserva,” Shumrick explains. e wine he mentions [Voché Reserva Rioja 2014] is a Spanish red made from 100% graciano, an uncommon grape from the Rioja region that’s even more rare to nd bottled on its own. e wine is not just unique; it also represents a fantastic value at $15.99 per bottle. Enjoy a glass of it at the bar for $11.

Shrumick enjoys the thrill of the hunt for these interesting and a ordable wines, and he wants to share that experience with his customers.

“It would be easy to just pour expensive wines that all taste great, but the fun part is nding that value wine that no one has ever heard of,” Shumrick says.

Patrons don’t have to choose only one wine at a time. Annata’s Wine Flight provides 3-ounce servings of three

Cheese plates and charcuterie boards are big draws at Annata.

PHOTO: MAGGY MCDONEL

Visitors are encouraged to meander the bar and connected retail shop while sipping their libations of choice.

wines for $15. Wines by the glass also are o ered in 6- or 9-ounce pours, with 6-ounce glasses ranging $9-$14 and the larger servings ranging $13-$20. e main space features a large U-shaped bar crowned by an array of stemware hanging above the center. Visitors are encouraged to meander the bar and connected retail shop while sipping their libations of choice. ere’s also a roomy two-level patio at the rear that’s perfect for socializing.

Shumrick says the retail shop o ers over 400 di erent wines and that the collection eventually will grow to more than 500. e food menu at Annata mostly is limited to items that require no cooking, except for a couple of grilled or smoked ingredients. Shumrick chooses the food options with the same care that goes into choosing wines. “ e charcuterie boards are made in house with a focus on using as much local Salami, cheese and produce as possible,” he says. “Currently, I’m doing the boards with one other person in the kitchen.”

e cheese plate features a selection of local cheeses from the likes of Kenny’s Farmhouse in Austin, Kentucky, and Capriole Farm in Greenville, Indiana.

A whole sliced baguette accompanies the cheeses, along with gs, dried cranberries, olives, cornichons, pistachios and membrillo ($19.95). e charcuterie board includes the same bites as the cheese plate plus a couple of local meats and a mustard ($24.95). Shumrick says the selections aren’t set in stone, and patrons can expect new avors from week to week.

Shumrick says the Mediterranean platter was a crowd pleaser at Chateau Pomije, so he brought it back for Annata. e shareable spread consists of house-made hummus, baba ganoush, Feta cheese, Greek olives, grilled vegetables and toasted pita ($14.95). A tossed salad with optional meat addition ($5.95/$11.95) and a rotating local dessert ($8.95) round out the food menu. e new concept is catching on with the neighborhood locals, Shumrick says.

“ ey have been watching [the bar] being built for the last year, and they want their ‘own’ wine bar,” he says. “People have been very excited about it and think it’s a great addition to the neighborhood.”

Annata Wine Bar, 2021 Madison Rd., O’Bryonville. Info: annatawinebar.com.