H-S: Six Plates wine bar to open at Erwin Terrace

The Herald-Sun reported in its Sunday 'Business Buzz' section that a former co-owner of Rue Cler and Pop's is opening a wine bar down at Erwin Terrace (map), across the street from Duke's West Campus.

Erwin Terrace -- a modern development by local attorney/professor/developer Robinson Everett, a long-time player in the business community who was once active in the creation of the Downtown Loop and other 60s/70s downtown redevelopment -- has had mixed success with its mixed-use plans. Shade Tree Coffee, Nosh's restaurant, and Chai's have all done well, but Wishbone Grille's purportedly-temporary closure at the end of the Duke school year seems to have gone permanent.

Into this scene comes Six Plates, which will at any time serve up six different wines out of a total selection of one hundred from various wine regions. The H-S reports the wine list will vary with the "six-plate menu of cheese, seafood, meats and produce," and that the establishment is intended to fill what really is a missing niche in Durham's eating scene. Everett's son and daughter-in-law are business partners in the new venture.

Interestingly, an earlier rumor had claimed Rue Cler was thinking of expanding eastward and add a wine bar to its current offerings. No idea whether Six Plates is an off-shoot in the absence of such expansion plans by Rue Cler, or if there are any longer active plans to expand Rue Cler in its current location.

Comments

[a law student]

You forgot Judge... Robinson Everett also sat on the US Court of Military Appeals.

[Chaz]

And Robinson Everett gave Thomas Stith $500 for his divisive mayoral campaign -- I wondered why, but Everett's development aspirations explain that.

Bah humbug! I'd just as soon drink my wine in the gutter with that guy on Parrish Street....

[Celeste]

FYI, Matt Beason parted ways with Chris Stinnett and John Vandergrift of Pops/Rue Cler some months back, so this is more likely to be competition for any Rue Cler expansion. FWIW, Luke and Sherry Everett are acquaintances of mine and seem like good folks.

[Michael Bacon]

There's no way I can be unbiased about this one -- I've been friends with Matt since before kindergarten, I play basketball with Luke, am friends with Sherry, and go to church with both of them and Robinson, who's been a stalwart in the church over the years.

All that said, as much as I disagree with Robinson's support of the Loop and of Stith, deciding where you go and don't go based on who people donate money to is a recipe for a pretty boring life. Heck, if I just eliminated those who visibly supported Worst President Ever, I'd have to have not rented from Apple Realty, never buy shoes at Ninth St. Active Feet, or eat at Allen and Son.

(FWIW, Robinson has also been a major force for progressive change within the Presbyterian Church over the years.)