Bar Marco's New Wine Room: Rustic, Elegant & Intimate
This spring, Bar Marco brings Pittsburgh a refreshing gastronomic experience with the opening of its Wine Room, located in the basement of the old No. 7 Firehouse. A collaboration between Chef Jamilka Borges (pictured below) and Wine Director Sarah Thomas, the Wine Room tells the stories of their relationship with food and wine through two 10-seat tasting dinners, available Wednesday through Saturday.
The first seating, starting at 6:15 p.m., is of novel length at $55 for 4 courses; the second seating, beginning at 8 p.m., is truly epic, boasting eight to 12 courses for $125.
The menu changes every evening, and wine pairings, tax, and gratuity are included in the price. Co-owner Bobby Fry says this labor of love took about a year to conceptualize, as well as six additional months of Borges and Thomas traveling across the country to gain inspiration and to learn to read each other’s palates. The result is a clean, white space, candlelit for intimacy. It’s rustic and elegant all at once, juxtaposing the building’s original wooden beams with soft touches, such as gold-toned vintage flatware.
A major highlight of the dinner is the opportunity to interact with Thomas, who focuses on pouring traditional old world and natural wines, as she shares the back stories of each vintage and its maker. Guests will feel as though they’re close friends of each and every vineyard.
Like any great story, the dinner is full of surprises, and as a parting gift, Bar Marco gifts each guest with a copy of the menu, drawn up in Thomas’ beautiful calligraphy.
