Valley wine guru Tom Kaufman (Rancho Pinot, Humble Pie) is doing a lot of last-minute juggling, but if everything continues as planned, he'll be officially opening The Living Room Wine Cafe & Lounge tomorrow night in Chandler.
"If the searchlights are on, we're open," he says. Keep an eye out.
Kaufman and his business partners, who also own Humble Pie and Old Town Scottsdale's new 5th & Wine, have created a cozy hangout where they encourage customers to linger.
"It's truly a lounge, not a restaurant," says Kaufman, citing a lack of informal lounges in the East Valley. Five garage doors will open the space up to the outdoors when the weather allows.
But there will be plenty to eat, of course, including salads (like at Humble Pie), soups, cheeses, and bruschetta. And to make sure that there are always fresh, seasonal ingredients on hand, Kaufman hired Maya Dailey of Maya's Farm to plant a garden out front, "a la The Parlor," he says.
Located in the Downtown Ocotillo development at 2475 W. Queen Creek Road, The Living Room will be open for evening hours only until lunch service starts in mid-January. There will be late-night service on weekends and on New Year's Eve.
