Oak & Vine at Springside Inn
Two hundred lively patrons attended the restaurant’s soft opening at the end of June, and without doubt, Oak & Vine is the new “it” eatery, modeled after the trendy gastropubs- serving high-end affordable food in a casual atmosphere.
Restaurant consultant Tony Daddabbo assisted Springside Inn owners Sean & Beth Lattimore every step of the way, from the new name, branding, interior redesign, securing the chefs and selecting the staff and training them. A reunion of sorts, Tony, Sean and Beth graduated together from Auburn High School class of 1986.
Sean’s main goal was to reinvent the restaurant’s perception as a destination mainly for larger special events. Over the past few years, he tried to do this through introducing a new menu and a new chef- but it wasn’t enough. The time had come for the Oak Room, which was built in 1954, to graduate to the Oak & Vine.
Consultant chef, Charlie Sicardi, and Bruce Java, Executive Chef, both based in Rochester teamed up to create the perfect menu that will satisfy vast palates, and encourage patrons to share and sample different selections. Sicardi’s world-wide culinary experiences are enviable, from working with renowned French chef Julia Childs to Rochester’s foodie Danny Wegman. Sicardi most recently worked for Bristol Harbor Resort in Canandaigua. Amazingly, the Lattimore’s found Sicardi via an ad on Craig’s List, who then brought Chef Bruce Java onboard. Java has since moved to Auburn, to serve as Executive Chef, now that Oak & Vine is in full operation.
The menu is a substantial departure from the past, with small plates ($7 - $12) and large plates ($9 - $26), featuring everything from a sashimi quality yellow fin tuna club, served with basil aioli, arugula and pickled onions to salmon, butcher steak, boneless chicken, pork rib chop, and the prime rib angus beef Oak & Vine Burger. Creative sides include caramelized brussel sprouts and sweet potato fries with syrup. There’s also a cheese plate, cured meat tray, Chef’s Choice Combo Board and Fritto Misto Salad with calamari, seasonal produce, seafood and remesco aioli. For the vegetarian, there are four different inventive salad options.
The restaurant’s interior design team consisted of Kevin Rich, a high-end contractor from Skaneateles, Mandi Marsh, an interior designer in NYC, and Leif Kallquist, an architect from Syracuse. The team would Skype meetings, to brainstorm how to transform the space while maintaining the integrity of the historic building.
Repositioning the bar was a crucial step in this process. Now, with triple capacity, there’s room for 20 patrons, offering a fresh opportunity to enjoy an active bar business. The new bar is faced with silver tin panels and purple polka dot glass pendant lighting. The chalk board above features a dozen craft beers available on tap. These range from brews out of Ithaca to a Belgian ale and German-style Hefeweizen, with many others in between. Additional bottled and canned beers are also available, plus a full bar with local wines. An open double-sided wine rack provides the perfect segue between the bar & the dining area.
Next design step was removing the wall-to-wall carpeting to reveal the gorgeous original maple floors, which were refinished. The dining room fireplace was dressed with sharp black tile, and the dark wood ceiling beams and wall paneling were painted cream, adding significant light to the space. New sleek black metal lighting from Steigerwald’s light center, further updates the look. The exterior signature red is mimicked on the upper walls above the wall paneling. Rich thick wood molding ties everything together.
Auburn Furniture was very involved with this project, the company made the black dining room chairs; the bar stools, and refurbished the original tables. They also created wooden pallets to serve 4oz. craft beers samples. Each paddle fits three mini Guinness Beer glasses perfectly! Another local business that Oak & Vine partnered with is Jean Siracusa’s Happy Bee Heirloom Farm. All the seasonal organic vegetables served at the restaurant were grown locally on her property.
Another upgrade is double French doors now make access to the spacious outdoor dining deck a breeze. The space transitions effortlessly, and the view over the grounds is stunning as always. The interior artwork at Oak & Vine reflects the establishment’s history and heritage, with framed family recipes, photos, postcards and news articles.
Approximately 35 people are working front and back staff, with 25 of those being new hires. Some are familiar faces, like Jimmy Muldoon, who bartended at Balloon’s and Chad Siddall, who worked private functions at Rosalie’s for 15+ years. Siddall joined on as Oak & Vine’s House Manager.
The venue is open 7 days a week through the fall, also serving lunch on Saturday and Sunday. Hours are Monday – Friday 4:30PM – 10PM; Saturday Noon – 10PM, and Sundays Noon – 7PM. A select pub menu is available for patrons dining later in the evening, until 11PM. This option could service the post-theater crowd from Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, or young professionals looking for a new place to hang. The crowd is a refreshing mix of all ages, and welcoming to all. Kudos once again to the vision and investment of the Lattimore family!
For more information call 315.252-9463 or visit www.oakandvine.com.
