Cru Cellars, the newly-opened wine bar, shop and restaurant in downtown Frankfort, is a triple story of hometown kids returning to northern Michigan.
Owned by Torrey and Jennifer Bingham,
Cru Cellars is an offshoot of the couple's first wine bar and shop in Tampa Bay, Florida.
The Binghams spent time working in Chicago and Tampa, with Jennifer rising in the wine world as a director for wine bars, and as a sommelier. They opened their first wine bar together in 2009.
They decided to bring their love for wine and good food home to Frankfort with this second location, and connected with chef James Westbrook to do so.
Westbrook is also a northwest Michigan boy, who spent time in New York City and Michelin-starred restaurants before coming back to develop the menu for the full kitchen attached to Cru Cellars. The small plates are designed to pair with the wine bar selections, or stand alone, maybe with a local crafted beer or cocktail.
The menu is far from just cheese and charcuterie, although visitors can expect to find those done well, too. Other picks include cornmeal-fried smelt, whitefish pate, house-cured salmon, braised short rib or roasted acorn squash, just to name a few. Sandwiches and desserts round out the selections.
Cru Cellars is open at 11 a.m. daily. It closes at 10 p.m. most days except Friday and Saturday, when it's open until 11 p.m. It's located at 411 Main Street in Frankfort.
Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Cru Cellars
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