Last weekend, I attended the joyous Supper of the Sensational Seven, a Pride Month dinner at The Mockingbird that featured a septet of LGBTQ chiefs from Nashville, Atlanta and, surprisingly, Springfield. Among the revelatory moments of the dinner was the chance to meet Adam LaClave and Zach Van Nieuwenhuyze, the co-owners, chef, bartender and chief bottle washer at Mystic Picnic Wine & Whiskey Bar in Springfield at 613 South Main St.
The dynamic duo was responsible for part of the meal and all of the drinks at the event, and everything they contributed was excellent. My curiosity piqued, I decided to find out more about their business. At first glance, the idea of a wine bar in Springfield was not something I expected from the small town north of Nashville, especially one run by a gay couple.
Shame on me for my presuppositions! Preparing to celebrate their first year in business, LaClave and Van Nieuwenhuyze have been embraced by the community thanks to their fantastic menu of interesting wines, top-shelf whiskey and fun elevated bar snacks. To commemorate its anniversary, Mystic Picnic is bringing Sucre and Teddy at Night from Music City to Springfield for an evening of live music and frivolity on Friday, June 23. The owners are donating 100 percent of ticket sales to a fund set up to help a good friend of theirs who is currently battling breast cancer.
To showcase the growth of entertainment options in Springfield’s downtown district, Van Nieuwenhuyze and LaClave are also organizing what they’re calling a “Pup Crawl” the next night on Saturday, June 24. From 4 until 8 p.m., Mystic Picnic will join forces with Public House, Depot Bar & Grill and BS Brew Works to support local pet organization Critter Fixers as part of a festive stroll around the town’s historic Main Street corridor.
Each stop on the crawl will feature a specialty beverage with a portion of proceeds going to the spay/neuter organization. Well-behaved dogs are welcome as part of the crawl, and Mystic Picnic will have special treats for the pups and their owners. So load up Rover in the Land Rover or Cooper in the Mini and make your way up to Springfield for a little fun for a good cause!
