Fork and Vine

Fork & Vine is pleased to officially announce that Chris Howell will be joining us as Sommelier on June 30th. Chris' first task will be to build Fork & Vine's 250+ label wine and extensive flight lists to directly complement and pair with Chef Camden's rotating menu of sharable plates.

To learn more about Chris and Fork & Vine please click the link below to read today's press release. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/06/prweb11978186.htm

Brendan Puthoff, Christopher Diehl, Camden Stuerzenberger, Chris Howell, Collin Davis

Chris Howell

Sommelier

Chris Howell represents today's modern sommelier. He's an adventurous and sophisticated wine expert with an accessible, laid back street trailer foodie persona. Chris' passion to elevate food through wine pairings is matched by his genuine interested in his customers' needs as they relate to taste, experience, and budget.

Influenced by a close-knit, food-focused family, Chris was introduced into the food industry at the young age of 13 and fell in love! Throughout the years he has fueled his enthusiasm by serving and managing at leading Austin establishments like Taverna, Manuel's and The Grove. In 2008, he parleyed his out-of-the-box thinking into one of SoCo's favorite food trucks, known as The Fat Cactus, and in 2012, Chris survived the challenging and time-consuming journey towards becoming a Level II Certified Sommelier.

With an insatiable passion for wine and half a lifetime spent in the kitchen, Chris truly completes the team of the newly-launched pairings kitchen and wine bar, Fork & Vine. Drawing inspiration from a mashup of cultures, ranging from Native American and Cajun, to Italian and Mediterranean, his adventurous pairings of multi-layered cuisine with off-the-grid wine and sake add yet another colorful, enlightened layer to the ever-changing dining landscape of Austin.

Fast-growing Anderson corridor welcomes new eatery and makeover to 1970’s shopping center.

Austin, June 16, 2014

Once a relatively quiet suburbia, the Anderson-Shoal Creek-Burnet corridor is now home to a booming population, including a bevy of young Austin professionals. Recognizing the energy of the neighborhood, restaurateur Brendan Puthoff called on the collaborative power of Dick Clark and Associates and Pinnacle Construction to design and build his latest epicurean venture, Fork & Vine. (www.forkvine.com)

Construction has ofﬁcially begun on the 5,200+ square foot, 229-seat Austin-inspired kitchen and wine bar, taking the anchor spot of the Creekside Square Shopping Center. Fork & Vine is a natural evolution for Puthoff Holdings, developer of Third Base Sports Bars and Mighty Bird restaurants and past owner of Hickory Street.

‘We wanted to bring to Shoal Creek a restaurant with reﬁned food and excellent service, yet have it remain casual in spirit,” said Puthoff. “And nobody expresses this concept through architecture better than Dick Clark and Associates. (www.dcarch.com)

“I really love their design style,” Puthoff said of Dick Clark. “The ﬁrm is well known for creating sleek, comfortable interiors including their creative use of unique materials. Dick Clark has designed an incredible restaurant that exceeded our expectations from a functionality, style, and reﬁnement perspective. Our customers are going to love Fork & Vine.”

THE AUSTIN POWER TEAM

Since 1979, Dick Clark and Associates has helped shape Central Texas architectural design through its restaurants, mixed-use projects and custom homes. According to Katy Wise, Project Manager and Architect, the ﬁrm has designed over 50 restaurants, including Austin’s FINO, Soleil, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and Kenichi.

“By the end of 2014, the trending phrase for going out for a memorable evening in Austin will be, “Let’s go to Anderson,” said Wise.

The Dick Clark team brought in long-time partner Pinnacle Construction, a 25-year industry construction veteran, for their technical expertise, superior eye for detail, and rich history in restaurant construction. Founded by Beth Selbe Lasita in 1989, Pinnacle is the only female-owned Austin construction company that specializes in restaurants and retail. Lasita has led her team to complete over 250 restaurants, including the latest new eateries la V, Odd Duck and Midnight Cowboy, and established names like Ranch 616, Bess Bistro, and her own investments, The Grove Kitchen and Lola Savannah Coffee. (www.pinnacleaustin.com)

Fork & Vine will be the 40th restaurant build on which Pinnacle has paired with Dick Clark’s architects.

VISION COME TO LIFE

Like a well-oiled machine, the two sets of experts were able to translate Puthoff’s vision for Fork & Vine into a clean and modern setting that brings a certain level of sophistication, both in the layout and the ﬁnishes. Exposed ceilings, multiple natural woods and natural light will completely transform the space from deep-set and dark, to lively and warm with a comfortable Austin vibe.

“In a space this massive, we focused a lot on breaking it up into zones to maintain a somewhat intimate dining setting, each having its own characteristic feel,” said Wise.

The main 5,200 square foot indoors includes a relaxed lounge, high-top bar, intimate low-table dining and a stand-out

tasting room featuring a custom-made white oak 250-label wine display. Extending an additional 1,500 square feet is the unique element of a convertible indoor/outdoor patio space with roll-up glass overlooking the foliage and active Shoal Creek.

Wise added, “This is one aspect that I think is really going to set this dining experience apart from the traditional inside/outside restaurant space.”

The resulting interior design anticipates the needs of a diverse clientele for lunch and dinner, creates a positive and efﬁcient workﬂow for a detail-oriented staff in both the main dining area and the kitchen, and embraces Fork & Vine’s vast wine pairing emphasis.

Immediate challenges Pinnacle faced include leveraging the unusual geometry of the area’s footprint, raising the sizeable ceiling for full exposure and enhanced lighting, and upgrading essential elements of the 36-year-old space.

“I just love to go into a restaurant and change it so you can’t remember what it ever was before,” said Lasita. “With Fork & Vine, we’re literally keeping the four walls and the roof and transforming the entire space.”

MODERNIZING THE 70’s SHOPPING CENTER

In addition to selecting Fork & Vine as new tenants with fresh offerings, Carr Development, owner of the Creekside plaza, has committed to updating the center’s entire facade with upgraded landscaping, lighting and coloring to match the modern storefront of the new full service restaurant. (www.carrdevelopment.com)

Carr, a real estate development and leasing company since 1978, is a pioneer of the Anderson-Burnet area that has helped cultivate and reﬁne the North Central community into what is now the geographic center of Austin.

“Anytime that group (Pinnacle and Dick Clark) is with the tenant… you know it’s a Class A project,” said Scott Carr, Carr’s President. “We are deﬁnitely excited about Fork & Vine helping us make this center more relevant for the changing environment.”

The Fork & Vine team includes locals Chef Camden Stuerzenberger, former Executive Chef of Bess Bistro, and General Manager Christopher Diehl, past manager at Perry’s Steakhouse. Fork & Vine is slated to open September 2014.

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Media Contact:

Kimberlie Dykeman, Kimberlie Dykeman Enterprises

Phone: (310) 500-9587

Email: info@kimberliedykeman.com

Website: http://www.forkvine.com

Twitter: @ForkVine

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/forkvine

About Fork & Vine:

Fork & Vine Austin Kitchen & Wine Bar is a 240-seat kitchen and wine bar that pairs Austin-inspired cuisine with an incredible selection of world class wine & craft beer in a down-to-earth, feel-good atmosphere. Fork & Vine serves lunch and dinner and features both indoor and outdoor patios and a 250-label wine tasting room. Located in the Creekside Square at Anderson Lane and Shoal Creek Blvd. Address is 3010 West Anderson Lane Austin, Texas 78757. www.forkvine.com

SOURCE Puthoff Holdings/Fork & Vine