West Side restaurant and wine shop Salt & Vine will close on Wednesday after two years of operation.
The Charlotte Avenue establishment had quickly become a neighborhood favorite after its opening, popular both with the younger ladies-who-lunch crowd and families seeking upscale but casual dinner options. But on Monday evening, the restaurant's Instagram account posted news of the closing:
Owner and sommelier Mattie Jackson Selecman (who has serious wine credentials in addition to country music bona fides as Alan Jackson's daughter) opened the restaurant with Hannah Schneider and chef Molly Fitzpatrick Martin. The latter left last year for Juniper Green, but the newly promoted chef Rahaf Amer had added her own spin to the menu. Just last month Amer curated a dinner of Syrian-American food as a fundraiser to protest the immigration travel ban.
Salt & Vine chef Rahaf Amer
"it has been more than an honor to have been apart of this team," Amer posted on Instagram [sic]. "the friendsmade, the experiences i have had, the delicious dishes ive created, every single second of my experience at S&V, i wouldnt trade any of it for the world. i would not be the chef i am today without the love, support and guidance from my S&V family. this place was the first place i really got to put my heart out onto a plate and i will forever be grateful for the people who believed in me enough to let me do that."
There's no word on what's next for Selecman or Amer — hopefully both will be up to some new project soon. And in case you're planning a wedding, Selecman will be featured on the cover of the upcoming issue of Southern Brides, which presumably will detail not just the wine served at her wedding last fall but also how exactly a bridge over a pool was constructed for her father to walk her down the aisle.
And if you can't make it to the restaurant for a final meal tomorrow, you'll still be able to swing by the wine shop the next few weeks until all the bottles are sold.
