The Red Red Wine bar in Annapolis Maryland isn't just another Main Street restaurant. When you walk in, you are immediately welcomed by its nostalgic charm. The atmosphere is reminiscent of the transition between the Victorian era and the Industrial Revolution age. I'm here to meet the owner, Brian Bolter, who created The Red Red Wine Bar to share his love of wine and food and to offer a comfortable and friendly atmosphere for tourists, lawmakers, and most importantly the Annapolis locals who frequent his bar to enjoy the sounds, sites, and flavors that The Red Red Wine Bar provides.
The Red Red Wine Bar
Story by Josh Rudderforth
I arrived early to get a bite to eat before meeting with Brian- to get a feel of the atmosphere and try something simple from the menu. I brought my son Ben with me to give me a fresh young perspective, as only an 8 year old can provide. He selects pepperoni pizza: easy selection for easily satisfied taste buds. I order a “Burger of the Day” from my waiter, Chris, who starts to explain what that burger is today. I interrupt and explain that I want to be surprised by the burger of the day. Chris looks surprised but gives a nod that says “challenge accepted.”
It's between the lunch rush and dinner rushes, so there were only a few patrons in the room chatting. The music playing was a 90s alternative mix. Chris comes over and starts a conversation. He tells me that he is from Baltimore, and that he spent some time in the south and could not stay away from Maryland forever. He leaves to bring back our lunch: one personal pepperoni pizza for my son, and one magnificent looking burger for me. From the looks of it, there is an Asian
influence: four shitaake mushrooms are splayed over the swiss cheese covered beef patty, with two fresh onions crossed on top. The presentation was impressive and not what I expected in a restaurant specializing in wines and cheeses. On first bite, I knew I was biting into more than just a burger--I was eating an idea, a thought that was crafted from scratch and brought out to me in response to the challenge. The mushrooms were a perfect contrast in texture to the rare patty. The soy honey vinaigrette added sweet and salty compliments to the rest of the burger.
“With out sounding biased, this place has the best burgers I have ever had,” Chris explained.
It is hard to argue with such a statement. If a restaurant cares this much about a burger, I look forward to the trying the rest of the menu. I ask my son how his personal sized pepperoni pizza tasted. “Good,” he responded, then asked about dessert.
Chris began to report the dessert menu, but did not make it past the chocolate peanut butter Smith Island Cake. “I want that!” Ben said sharply, holding his hand out in front of him as if to tell Chris, “Halt! I don't need any more choices, the chocolate and the peanut butter are all I need to hear.” Ben ate his cake, humming through each bite.
Red Red Wine Bar owner Brian Bolter joins us and we begin our interview.
MU: Thank you so much for taking time to sit with us today. How did you come up with the concept of the Red Red Wine Bar?
BB: The idea came out of my love for wine and entertainment. My wife and I were the kind of people who would bring wine to tailgate parties. Red Red Wine Bar is a place where people can explore different flavors and rid the intimidation of trying something new. You can have the good life with everyday living.
MU: The interior seems to be a blend of Victorian and early 19th century. Can you tell us what your influences were with the design of the space?
BB: We spent one year searching for a location before we secured this one. It was a retail space before so we had to gut the entire space. Building the kitchen was a challenge, having to run the ventilation up two stories to the roof. It was worth the wait, and when it came to the interior we hired Mick Mier who is a designer based out of Washington D.C. It's kind of late 19th century Victorian, early 1900s industrial. We have original portrait paintings by Jimmie Davies ( Jimmie HaHa Of Jimmies Chicken Shack) that fit the décor very well, and we use a lot of antiques from the era.
MU: What flavors inspired the menu, from wine to food, the whole experience?
BB: The food is Maryland coastal meets west coast cuisine, mixed in with some New Orleans influences. We try to find under-the-radar wines that compare in flavor to more expensive wines. It's a way we can express the desire to try something new and open your mind to new tastes. We are trying to kill the notion that what you drink represents who you are.
You can watch Brian Bolter on the WTTG Fox 5 News Edge, Washington D.C at 11pm
Photo courtesy of www.redredwinebar.com
Photo courtesy of www.redredwinebar.com
Photo courtesy of www.redredwinebar.com
Photo courtesy of www.redredwinebar.com
Photo by Josh Rudderforth
