The latest on Vin's closing
So many people have sent me the Vin press release announcing that the Towson restaurant is closing temporarily during the Towson Circle III construction (thanks, everyone), I think I better do a separate entry about it.
I actually heard about Vin first from Lars Rusins, the Baltimore Foodie, who had gotten an e-mail from Chef Chris Paternotte announcing he was leaving the restaurant. I talked to Paternotte yesterday, and he didn't say anything about the closing -- just that he and Cordish Company had agreed to part ways. He implied the reason was that "fine dining in Towson is an uphill battle."
Then I called Reed Cordish, vice president of the Cordish Company, and he was the one who told me Paternotte had been unhappy about the closing.
"Huh?" I said. "What closing?" ...
Cordish says it would be hard for Vin to stay open because the front entrance will be blocked during at least part of the construction. The closing date is Aug. 3, and it will remained closed until at least the end of the year. He's expecting Vin to be open again by summer 2009.
Cordish was nothing but complimentary about Paternotte, whom he called "the creative force" behind Vin. I asked him if he thought the place would go in another direction if and when it reopened (i.e., offer more casual dining). He said not if Paternotte can be persuaded to come back as a consultant.
My guess is that once the circle project is finished, Vin will reopen. Maybe not as the fine-dining restaurant with a hip vibe that it is now, but in some form.
Maybe if we're lucky it will reopen with a new name, or a new spelling of the old name. I still can't remember to pronounce it "vine."
(Amy Davis/Sun photographer)
Comments
I was going to dine at VIN until I checked the menu and found it very ordinary. If I remember right we went to Jesse Wong's in Hunt Valley for Peking Duck instead.
Posted by: Mark | July 11, 2008 1:36 PM
It has been going downhill for awhile
Posted by: sas | July 11, 2008 2:37 PM
If anyone didnt't see this coming, they must be blind. Poor product as well as poor location.
Posted by: eddie | July 14, 2008 8:28 AM
The food wasn't terrible although it was a bit pricey. It was a nice alternative to the other bars in Towson if you wanted to have a glass of wine at happy hour. Something tells me that the new "Blue Grotto" opening up will not fill the void.
Posted by: Lynn | July 14, 2008 10:10 AM