Scoop: New wine and vermouth bar called Substrate opening in Optimist Park
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Substrate will open in Optimist Park April 13. Photo: Courtesy of Matt Green
Substrate is a new wine and vermouth bar opening in Optimist Park next to Bird Pizzeria.
Why it matters: In addition to natural wines, Substrate will offer vermouth by the glass and amaro.
What to expect: Wines from what owner Matt Green calls "unexpected and underappreciated grapes and places," such as Slovenia, Croatia, Georgia, Hungary, Macedonia, Lebanon and Southern Chile.
- Substrate will offer half-bottles, meaning you can pick a bottle, they'll pour half of it into a beaker and sell the rest by the glass.
- The new bar doesn't have a kitchen, so Green encourages people to bring food from nearby businesses like Bird Pizzeria, Optimist Hall and Urban District Market.
Zoom in: Green was previously the bar manager at Rosie's Wine Garden down the road, and before deciding to open Substrate, he took a trip to Europe to study wine.
"The biggest feedback we get, in the most positive way, is that it doesn't feel like Charlotte."— Matt Green, owner of Substrate
The vibe: With its dim lighting and hodgepodge of decorations on the walls, Green says the bar gets compared to one you might see in Bushwick in Brooklyn.
- Visitors can choose the venue's soundtrack from Substrate's collection of vinyl records. "People can just browse and grab them ... we'll have a display behind the bar that shows what's in the queue," he said.
- The 1,400-square-foot space seats about 50 people inside and another 50 people on its outdoor patio.
Stop by: Substrate will open Saturday, April 13, at 512-B E 15th St.
- Its hours of operation are 4-10pm on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 4pm-midnight on Fridays, noon-midnight on Saturdays and noon-10pm on Sundays.