Vinotecca has opened in the former The Bird and The Bread restaurant space. Wine fans may recognize the name; Vinotecca used to be located in downtown Royal Oak. That location closed in 2017 to make way for that town's
new Jolly Pumpkin outpost. The brand has been re-energized just a few miles north up Woodward Avenue in Birmingham.
Fans of the Vinotecca experience should feel welcome at the bar and restaurant's new digs. There remains an emphasis on great wine and food. The food menu, however, has been re-designed. While there are still the familiar small plates, the new Vinotecca returns with a more prominent entree menu.
Chef Adam Galloway, who has spent the past eight years at the Jonna Family of Restaurants' other wine bar and restaurant bar, Vinology in Ann Arbor, says that the new Vinotecca is more of a hybrid between the old Royal Oak location and Vinology. He characterizes the menu as wine-friendly world cuisine, and not just the predictable Italian and French dishes.
"We have small plates that represent a wide variety from around the world. There's an eclectic feel to the menu -- even on the entree side," says Galloway. "We're putting a twist on the classics, but in modern, fun, and interesting ways."
Entrees include the Cowboy Steak, Curried Scallops and Pork Belly, and Ponzu Glazed Fjord Trout, among others. Like the small plates, entrees are made available to share, with customers having the option to order full and half size plates of the main dishes.
In addition to wining and dining, Vinotecca offers wine education classes, weekend brunch service, and live jazz and blues concerts. One holdover from The Bird and The Bread days is the Elm Room, the 300 person-capacity private events space that remains in the back of the building.
Vinotecca is located at 210 S. Old Woodward Ave. in downtown Birmingham.
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