Bricco Della Regina Anna
Not something usually associated with wine bars, unless you're talking about Bricco on Queen Anne.
"When people think wine, they think lots of money or kind of an upper echelon of lifestyle. And we wanted to kind of take what the Italians have been doing for thousands of years, which is just enjoying it in a very casual sense," says wine director Jason Crume, who opened Bricco with his UW college buddy Kevin Erickson in January.
The name Bricco means "Hilltop Vineyard" in Northern Italy.
And because Italians like to name their hilltops after royalty: "Regina being Queen and Anna being the translation of Anne - Bricco Della Regina Anna was born," explains Jason.
Jason and Kevin spent most of 2004 building the space themselves, giving it a warm, European vibe with dark wood, light walls and a nostalgic feel.
"The shelving behind the bar was salvaged from a fabric store just around the corner that was going out of business. It was originally, before that, one of Queen Anne's first grocery stores. So that shelving is almost 100 years old," says Kevin, who oversees the menu and does the cooking fives days a week.
"Right now, we're doing a halibut with just tomatoes and basil. A little olive oil, a little white wine. And that's all it needs."
The menu has a sampling of everything from artisan cheeses, meats, bruschetta, panini and nightly dinner specials.
"Some of our dishes, like potato gratin or the veggie lasagna are just so comforting to people, especially on the cold nights in the winter," says Kevin.
No matter what the weather, Jason's got a perfect wine for you.
"I like strange, obscure things that you don't normally find and getting people to try something other than just a Chardonnay or Merlot. Nothing against Chardonnay or Merlot but there are a lot of different varietals out there."
If the food and wine don't keep you coming back - Jason is convinced the good company will.
"You see a lot of people really getting into some serious conversations and talking about what's going on in their lives. And I think, for moment, they may forget about their worries and they're just doing their thing and having a glass of wine. It's kind of a nice thing to see."
Places Kevin likes to Go Eat! - La Carta de Oaxaca, Le Pichet, La Dolce Vita
Places Jason likes to Go Eat! - Crow, Le Pichet
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