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For our money, Vino Nadoz Bistro & Wine Bar was one of the most underrated restaurants in town.
It’s small size (36 seats), the lack of ambient noise, the quality of Chris DiMercurio’s small plate fare matched with the congeniality and talents of bartender Alex Ettinger (both are now at Element), all added up to a superior dining experience.
Unfortunately, one of our sleeper restaurants has now been put to sleep.
Owners Steven and Kathy Becker, who also own the two Nadoz Bakery Cafe restaurants, decided it was time to switch gears. Effective today, Vino Nadoz Bistro & Wine Bar will become Vino Nadoz Private Event Space.
The couple will open the third Cafe Nadoz in mid-February at the Taubman Prestige Outlet Mall. (For those keeping score in the battle of the Chesterfield outlet malls, Taubman has apparently inked 10 new stores, "some of them big ones," according to sources.)
Over the holidays, Vino Nadoz (which connects to Nadoz Bakery Cafe by a big sliding door), was used for a series of private parties—some that utilized both venues, so It made sense that concentrating on corporate parties, showers, birthday celebrations, etc., would be a more efficient use of space. And since the Beckers are caterers by trade—they own both Steven Becker Fine Dining and The Coronado Ballroom—they would be hitting in their wheelhouse.
Vino Nadoz Private Event Space seats 40-50 for a private dinner, more for a stand-up function. On weekend days, it will provide overflow seating for the cafe; on weekdays, it’s available for business meetings and meals. In the evenings, the spaces can be combined for cocktails and dinner--even dancing.
Steven Becker told Relish that despite positive feedback, good reviews, and critical acclaim, Vino Nadoz never reached its potential, and that his customer “was different from the one at Maggiano’s and P.F. Chang’s,” restaurants that had somewhat branded The Boulevard.
So the Beckers decided to rebrand. And although we lament the passing of Vino Nadoz the restaurant, far be it from us to disagree with a logical business decision.
Vino Nadoz interior photo above by Kevin A. Roberts
