Since I first published the post about Enoteca Sogno getting squeezed out of their Broad Street location, I’ve been in touch with the owner, Gary York, to see if my speculations were very far off and where Enoteca might pop up next. Gary wisely chose to stay above the fray by not joining the contentious comments that erupted around that post. Public sympathy for Gary’s plight was pretty evident in the comments and on Twitter. Rather than speak out on the news that Justin French and Rick Lyons would be converting the old Enoteca into a new restaurant called Empress, York is taking time to recharge his batteries and focus on his acclaimed seafood restaurant, Coast, at Grove and Libby.
The question remains, will Enoteca Sogno reopen somewhere in Richmond? So many Richmond restaurants have closed recently, it would be a shame to add Enoteca to that list. Gary says Enoteca Sogno was financially stable thanks to a steady stream of regulars and relatively cheap rent afforded by his blighted Broad Street setting. However, being bullied into closing has to leave a bad taste in a business owner’s mouth. Add to that, the deep pockets and long reach of French and Lyons’ advertising pull seems to be ensuring that Richmond’s media out won’t delve into the Enoteca story, even to eulogize the restaurant. That’s too bad, because increased attention probably would help give Gary and Enoteca the momentum to reestablish in a new location and put the restaurant on more people’s radar than its old incarnation.*
So, will Enoteca rise like a Phoenix from the ashes of an ugly turn of events on Broad Street? York doesn’t know yet. He’s got a a few restaurant ideas in his head and seems to be looking for inspiration to show him the right path to take. I’m thinking that the right space is what Gary is missing, and there’s probably some hesitance to put trust in a new landlord after being burned so recently. If Gary York is going to get inspired, he’ll probably also need to hear from his supporters. From what I’ve heard from his loyal customers, no one wants Enoteca memorialized by a pair of his and her’s douche-bag bars on Broad, matching and monogrammed. York will have to write the next chapter himself and let us all know if there will be a sequel.
I recently asked Twitter where Enoteca Sogno should reestablish itself next and got a couple requests for a Southside location, anywhere in the city proper, and a who cares just reopen comment. When I asked Gary what he’s looking for, here’s what I got:
- An old building with exposed brick, not new construction.
- Within striking distance of York’s Northside home.
- Affordable rent to ensure affordable food.
- Enough space for all of his wines.**
With these requirements in mind, please chime in with your suggestions, encouragement, and feedback about the future of Enoteca Sogno. I’m sure Gary will appreciate it.
*In its four years of operation, Enoteca Sogno never received a single full-length review in a major Richmond publication Style Weekly (got it wrong. there were RTD and Richmond Mag reviews. my mistake).
**I also got a lot more than I bargained for in wine wisdom. This dude is steeped in the wine world (especially Italian). And he bristles at the common 3x mark-up featured at so many restaurants. I dare you to chat him up about vino.
Oh well, there goes my fantasy of them re-opening within walking distance of me in the old bottega space.
It’s a crime that this place flew under the media’s radar – although it did make my wife and I feel like it was our secret spot. I thought the spot they had on Broad was perfect – but maybe there’s a spot in Oregon Hill where they could get some love.
Why do you all of a sudden care so much about this restaurant now that it is gone? No one did a review of it in 4 years, but you never paid it a visit either. Reminds me of the Michael Jackson “fans” that jumped on the bandwagon after his death.
Stacy of the fake email address: I don’t want to divert this comment thread away from its intended purpose cuz this one REALLY doesn’t have to be about me. In this case, I think a little hair metal best answers your question and sets the mood for further feedback for Gary.
Get out your lighters and let the Sogno take over. (the hair is symbolic of pasta noodles ;o)
Never met him, but did meet his exquisite calamari appetizer. He would be most welcome on Grace Street, maybe in the Miller & Rhoads retail space by CenterStage.
I can’t remember if I said this on Twitter or not, but I think Enoteca would thrive on the Boulevard. There is so much space that needs to be used for something useful.
However, no matter where the restaurant revives. I will be there.
Jason- thanks for keeping up with this story.
…….my wife and I, and many of our friends, ate at Enoteca. The main reason we eat out, since we also cook, is to have something truly delicious, a signature dish. His whole, roasted branzino was one of those dishes (like the pork shank at Kuba Kuba is). Gary would guide anyone at his restaurant to the right wine……even if that wine was among the least expensive on this list . If you sat at the small bar, you could engage the friendly staff and Gary in conversation, and often be seated next to Buz (from the barbecue place) or the wine guy from Can Can. When he had soft shell crabs, they were the best in town. We always enjoyed his food, his staff……..the guy is one of the very few restaurant professionals in this town and “gets it.”
How about the old Belle Vie (?) place in Northside on Bellevue, near Northside grill. Considering the quality of Northside Grill (blech)it would be a welcome addition!
The empty restaurant on Bellevue would be great! Of course, I’m partial becaue it would be in walking distance. It would probably take some work to renovate, but the bar use to be very sweet looking.
jason,
you should make yourself a shirt, “Jason thinks you’re a douchebag if you patronize any of the following:….”
It could be brown. Just sayin…
For anyone who missed it, Nayagan is calling me a fascist for the childish name-calling I perpetrated against the wildly successful watering hole, The Republic. Actually, I think the free expression of consumers about developments in the marketplace is a democratic way to participate in capitalism as an American. If Richmond’s Monument Ave is going to host homages to a military that attempted to uphold slavery, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise to see monuments to douche-baggery popping up on Broad Street. But, I digress. This comment thread is supposed to be about the future of Richmond’s Italian food and wine offerings; a setting that, should it reopen, will hopefully provide some festive respite from political contentiousness.
Gary, if you’re reading. Sorry for the disruption and my part in it. The outpouring hasn’t really manifested. I think a lot of people voiced their opinions on the previous post on this topic and on Twitter (go to Twitter.com and search “Enoteca Sogno”). Also, I posted this at the start of a weekend, which often puts it below blog readers’ radar.
As a true fan of this place, I was pretty happy to never read about it anywhere as well as be the first to tell friends and visitors of a great italian restaurant….call me selfish (actually, I know I’m selfish, so I dont really care).
As for why this place will be missed, I feel it’s genuine authenticity to italian cuisine just cant be found anywhere else. Everything from the simple bolangnese to the way you order/are served your food (salad, pasta, meat), it all takes me back to the best parts of Italy. NO restaurant that I’ve been to in Richmond matches the authenticity to this level. Dont get me wrong, I love Edo’s and the rest of the garlic filled meals I get from most of the other italian restaurants in Richmond, but the quaintness and simplicity of this restaurant just make it something completely different and definitely worthy of a spot in Richmond.
I hope it comes back.
The Bellevue location would be a good one. So would any of the spaces that are lying fallow on the Boulevard. The ultimate nose-thumb would be taking over the old Foundry building behind Bowtie, but the traffic there might be more than most of us would like to see at Enoteca.
And though I know people who had bad experiences at Enoteca, I always had consistently good service and excellent food. The restaurant’s return will be more than welcome.
jason,
are you saying that Richmond is insufficiently supplied with Italian restaurants that know their vino? Isn’t that like complaining there aren’t enough elbow-and-thigh-sleeve-tattoo’d hip-to-body-oders at Camel on friday night?
I’m also surprised that a good egalitarian white-man-burden-bearing progressive like yourself could ignore the glaring lack of Keralite, Tamizh, Hyderabadi and Bengali cuisines? A tragedy largely due the incurious and xenophobic palate of this most middle of middle-market cities. Even Charlottesville had Golden Kris for a few years in the noughts.
i love Italian Food specially those juicy pastas. They are really delicious.`’`