Vinotecca opens in former Bird & Bread spot

Vinotecca, an upscale, full service wine bar restaurant offering live music, opens Friday, January 26 in downtown Birmingham in the former location of The Bird and The Bread, at 210 S. Old Woodward.

The Jonna Family of Restaurants, owners of both establishments, announced in October they would be converting The Bird and The Bread into a restyled version of its original Vinotecca wine bar, which formerly was in Royal Oak before being converted to a Jolly Pumpkin in August 2017. It will also be similar to their Vinology wine bar and restaurant in Ann Arbor.

The new Vinotecca will feature a wine bar, small plates menu and world cuisine along with live music with an emphasis on jazz and blues. They will offer wine education and fun in a non-intimidating way for the novice while also presenting a higher level experience for the aficionado, said the father-daughter team of John and Kristin Jonna, owners.

As a sommelier, cheese expert, restaurant owner and world traveler, John Jonna has been in the wine business for over 40 years. Along with his daughter Kristin, who also has an extensive background in the wine industry and is a certified specialist of wine, their wide-ranging knowledge is showcased through Vinotecca as it is in Vinology.

“We have long wanted to bring Vinotecca to Birmingham and reinvent it here as we continue to educate and entertain our guests with the exciting world of wine and food,” said Kristin Jonna.

The Jonna said executive chef Adam Galloway has designed a wine-friendly world cuisine menu to create both classic and modern wine pairings. Vinotecca will mirror cuisine offered at Vinology. Suggested wine and food pairings will be presented on the menu as well as interactively through the innovative and environmentally-friendly tablet wine list.

In addition, their banquet room, The ELM Room, which can accommodate private parties for up to 300 guests, will offer ongoing entertainment with concerts, singer-songwriter events and comedy shows. There is a live music lineup Thursday through Saturdays.

Vinotecca will open at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday for brunch.