Keller will get a sophisticated new spot for chef-driven Italian cuisine with the debut of Soho Wine Bar Restaurant, which will open on August 29 in the former FnG Eats space at 201 Town Center.
The white tablecloth concept comes from recent New York transplants Argjent Sela and Mentor Kurari, friends-turned-business partners who met while working in the restaurant industry. (Sela is from Brooklyn, where he owned a steakhouse before the pandemic, and Kurari is from New Jersey, where the duo first connected.)
Sela calls Soho “mostly Italian” with a menu of pasta dishes like cacio e pepe ($24), entrees like chicken Milanese ($28), and pizzas ($18 – $22) ranging from margherita to mushroom with goat cheese and pesto.
But there are also more elevated options that showcase a broader bill of fare than the usual Italian joint.
There are zucchini flowers ($18) stuffed with crab, arancini risotto balls ($18), and a “raw bar” medley of shrimp, oysters, clams, and crab, offered for market price.
Entrées go beyond typical Italian with selections such as braised short rib ($42), double cut panko-crusted pork chop ($38), branzino filet with broccoli rabe ($38), and grilled hanger steak with chimichurri sauce ($36).
Soho even asserts some Asian influence with dishes like the mango and avocado tuna tower ($22), shishito peppers with lemon aioli ($12), soba noodle bowl with spicy peanut sauce ($15), and sesame-crusted ahi tuna with soy-ginger glaze ($40).
Entrees top out at $48 for New York strip served with roasted potatoes and Italian “long hots” – long and slender peppers popular in Northeastern US Italian cuisine.
“After the first two weeks, we’ll start featuring more specials, including seafood,” says Sela, who landed on Keller after persuasion from friends in Texas. “We were looking for change; something different. Friends here kept telling us we should open something here.”
Soho takes over a space occupied by Keller’s first-ever chef-driven restaurant in FnG Eats, which operated for 12 years before closing in January. Judging by comments posted on Soho’s Facebook page, area residents are ready for that niche to be filled again, citing an abundance of fast food and casual eateries but very little upscale dining.
Soho will also offer craft cocktails, martinis, and a lengthy wine list, one that Sela says will feature an extensive inventory of wine by the glass. (Sela was in the process of receiving a big wine order during this CultureMap interview.) Tuscan wines are big players on the menu so far, along with champagne and ports.
Desserts range from $10 to $20 and include tiramisu, cannoli, crème brulé, boozy affogato, bananas Foster, New York style cheesecake, and zabaglione – an Italian custard made with sweet wine.
Soho will be open for dinner from 5–10 pm daily, with lunchtime hours to begin sometime in September. (There are no plans for brunch at this time, says Sela.) Reservations are recommended.
Dining and Cooking