Robin Brown hopes to open Greencork in August, depending on the timing of licensing permits.
Wine on tap, a concept popular in other cities, is coming to Cooper-Young as the calling card for a new restaurant called Greencork. The restaurant will be located next to Goner Records in the space formerly occupied by Imagine Vegan Café.
About three dozen wines will be available initially from self-service wine dispensers, explained owner Robin Brown. Customers will insert a card in the dispensers, select a 2-ounce, 4-ounce or 6-ounce pour, and then fill their own glasses. Think YoLo with wine instead of frozen yogurt.
“We want to make wine accessible and fun, not intimidating,” said Brown, who has a background in catering, restaurant management, and corporate hospitality.
Look for an “August-ish” opening for Greencork, which in addition to wine and craft beers will serve seasonal tasting plates. An early peek at the opening menu promises fresh and affordable summer fare, including watermelon gazpacho, chicken salad with pear chutney, beef tenderloin with blackberry reduction, bacon, lettuce and tomato cheesecake and ice cream sliders made with homemade cookies like rum raisin or Mexican hot chocolate.
“We’re also going to serve picnic baskets for two,” explained Brown’s daughter, Katy Sloan, who is helping operate the restaurant along with her brother, Keenan Sloan. The baskets will include such items as meats, cheeses, fruit, pate, seasonal vegetables and deviled eggs.
Already, renovations are well underway with new exterior stone work, a re-configured bar and a fireplace for sofa seating. And Brown is enthusiastic about making Greencork unique in a neighborhood already well known for its bars and restaurants.
“We will do lots of fun things,” she said, citing wine 101 classes and test kitchen Tuesdays, where the restaurant's first customers get to try whatever the kitchen is cooking for free.
