Alliance Tavern, Formerly Enology Wine Bar - Closed

[sacrilicious]

I live in the neighborhood, and I feel somewhat personally responsible for success of local businesses. Unfortunately I haven't been eating out much lately (watching calories and $) but I always enjoyed my visits to Enology, and I'm glad you're staying in any form.

Also about the @#$%*&! long-overdue Giant project (at the thought of it I automatically start muttering curses), please know that many of us do not think a bunch of empty storefronts is a victory for the neighborhood.

[giant shrimp]

i can remember when there was basically just a chinese restaurant in this neighborhood, on the ho hum side, next to murphys and the enology space was the zebra room (for years and years), so the restaurant additions over recent decades are all improvements. it started with cafe deluxe, then cactus cantina, both of which became highly popular years ago and have since rested on their laurels. the cactus cantina corner is starting to look like a piece of a rundown amusement park and the eggs benedict i recently tasted at cafe deluxe was disappointingly mediocre. have really enjoyed enology the few times we have been there fairly recently, but grazing isn't really my style, and it isn't that difficult to head for 14th street. will miss enology, i guess, but also look forward to the new concept.

as for the redevelopment of these few blocks of wisconsin avenue, i prefer an anything goes approach for new development and businesses, which is not going to happen here, although macomb street seems to be open. the surfside ice cream place is the latest arrival. i don't understand the wrangling over giant, the empty spaces, but i do know that i was disturbed by the redevelopment plans i saw here several months ago. i haven't paid much attention to this, but my first instinct would be to fight the plans, which suggest on paper at least a lot of money and not much else. of course, looking up and down wisconsin avenue, it's apparent that nobody has been held to a high standard. when it comes to property along wisconsin, i guess there's too much at stake to accommodate any commercial growth that would start adding to a neighborhood that can't even manage to have a decent chain grocery store. it's hard to imagine the local bookstore and bakery painted on murphy's windows ever coming into existence under current conditions.

[DonRocks]

I stopped into the new Enology Wine Bar Alliance Tavern last night, with most everything changed over except the sign outdoors. The ownership remains the same, with Johnny Nielsen the chef, and Chris Cunningham the GM. Alliance is branching out from their all-American wine list into other countries, and will be featuring an expanded menu with less-intricate recipes.

Last night I had a Starr Hill Lager ($5) and Potomac Cioppino ($13), which was about the most expensive item on the menu. It was a good, tomato-based broth with plenty of clams, shrimp, and fish, and came with two pieces of grilled garlic bread for sopping it all up. I'll miss Johnny's Buffalo Frog Legs, but I'll miss them a lot less if I can find more dishes such as this seafood stew.

The interior is very different, most notably the bar, with the old white marble being replaced by dark wood. The eight flat-screens are accompanied by 60 wines by the glass, in both 3- and 6-ounce pours, and of course whatever mixed-drinks Chris has summoned from the dark side. The new sign will be up sometime next week, and the employees seem visibly excited about the changes. Good luck to everyone, and I'll look forward to returning after Alliance Tavern is officially born.

Cheers,

Rocks.

[Chris Cunningham]

Just want to let everyone know that ALLIANCE TAVERN is now officially up and running..RIP ENOLOGY (for now). The beer taps are flowing as is everything else. WE are open today so come on up and celebrate the new year.

[Chris Cunningham]

RIP ALLIANCE TAVERN........Just wanted to let you know that I closed Alliance Tavern for good on Friday night There will be a new sports bar reopening in its ashes in about 4-5 weeks, but I will let the new owner talk about that when he is ready. I have taken over the bar at New Heights as of yesterday and hope to see many of your familiar faces in the future