Welcome to The Build Out, a series where we chronicle the construction of major venues, in this case Soho's City Winery. It's creeping ever so closer to the opening:
Soho: Last night urban winery/concert venue/tapas restaurant City Winery opened its doors to friends, family, and members of the press to show off the almost completed venue and announce the line up for the next six months or so. There are still a number of finishing touches to be made, especially on the lower level, but she's come a long way since our first walk through in August. A few fun facts from last nights "press conference":
· A la the Eldridge, the waiters will not be called waiters but rather wine stewards.
· Diners will be given the wine list first and after making their choices, will be presented with a menu accompanied by recommendations from your "steward."
· To get tickets to a performance, you must first become a VinoFile member which costs $50 annually. The card that accompanies the membership will track everything you drink at the space, and the membership fee will work as a credit toward tickets bought to workshops or concerts.
· Highlights from the announced line up: Philip Glass, Calexico, Rufus Wainwright, Boz Scaggs.
· Fun quote of the night from the winery's booking agent: "So you can pair wine with food, wine with cheese, cheese with food, wine with music- the possibilities are endless."
· The venue will open to the public on New Years Eve with a Joan Osborne concert, but tickets to events and shows will be available online later today.
· We haven't learned much more about the food since our initial walkthrough—tapas, seasonal, local, etc.— but we did learn it will be open for lunch and, on Sundays, klezmer brunch.
· The Build Out: Final Phases at City Winery [~E~]
· All City Winery Coverage [~E~]