Sottise wine bar and restaurant opens in downtown Phoenix Leave a comment
French countryside style meets historic Arizona at a new bistro and wine bar in downtown Phoenix.
Owned by acclaimed chef and restaurateur duo TJ Culp and Esther Noh, Sottise is opening on Second Street just north of Roosevelt Row.
A painstaking renovation by previous owners and a design overhaul by Culp and Noh has transformed the historic Knipe House, a downtown Phoenix landmark built in 1909, into something they feel downtown Phoenix hasn’t seen, or heard, before.
An extensive Old World wine list sets the tone, and the food menu is heavy on French influence. Music, tuned through an antique sound system, rounds out the experience.
Success in Melrose and a downtown dream
TJ Culp is best known for Restaurant Progress in the Melrose District. There he serves a seasonal, fine dining menu and craft cocktails in a tiny space thathas become a popular date night spot.
The Melrose District made a perfect home for Restaurant Progress, Culp said. He and Noh even opened another business right next door, The Montecito Bottle Shop, which specializes in natural wine.
But Culp and Noh have always wanted to open a restaurant downtown.
Back in 2015, when Culp was shopping for a place to open Restaurant Progress, a space along Roosevelt Row almost fit the bill. At the time, the area had yet to become the dining destination it is today, he said.
“Downtown’s always been kind of a growing thing, so we just wanted to be part of that growth. It’s cool to see downtown just kind of blow up,” Culp said. “I remember coming down to baseball games in like 1999; it’s just changed so much.”
Now, their downtown dream is becoming a reality.
“When we walked the space, we knew that it was special,” Noh said.
Records and ‘old sound’ hit the right notes at Sottise
Walking through the front door of the Knipe House, it becomes apparent just how small the restaurant is. To the left, a modern bar backed by white subway tiles fills one side of the space. To the right, a series of seating areas offer options ranging from a navy leather couch to high tops and a cozy table for twoby the record player.
“We wanted to bring a little bit of Progress over here because, over the past five years, the guests have come in and just really loved the space and the decor and everything else. So we wanted to kind of bring that aesthetic, but just a little bit more of a casual atmosphere,” Noh explained.
More:A French restaurant and cocktail bar are coming soon to a historic downtown Phoenix house
Music is at the center of the design, Culp said.
On the front wall, adjacent to a table-filled front porch, sits an ornate cabinet that houses two turntables and a collection of vinyl records.
“I’ve been collecting records for quite a while. I mean, nothing crazy. But when I started to go down to the audiophile kind of rabbit hole and learning about all this old vintage audio equipment … It’s just, I like old cars, then I like this old house. And the next thing I guess is old sound,” he said.
Above the bar hang two square wooden horns that project sound into the dining room. The horns are each about 60 years old and were shipped from Vietnam.
“I couldn’t find a single pair in America, couldn’t find a single pair in Europe. The only pair I ever found was in Vietnam, so I blindly bought them. They showed up two months later in a crate and I almost couldn’t believe it,” Culp said.
The subwoofers came from Pennsylvania and Culp bought other bits and pieces from “this one guy on the West side who had a garage full of just crazy stuff,” he said.
The music selection will change daily and increase in volume as the night progresses. Expect hip hop weekdays, jazzy Saturday nights and “chill hoppy” brunches.
What to drink at Sottise
As far as the wine list, Culp and Noh plan to provide a range of price points and varieties, but will mostly focus on wines from Europe. The list will steer heavily French, with some Spanish and Italian bottles in the mix.
“From big serious wines to new up and coming producers, trendier wines, the whole list is set for everyone,” Noh said.
Options for wine served by the glass will include natural orange wines and pét-nats.
More:Welcome to pet-nat summer. Here’s where to buy the natural sparkling wine
“If you want to crush a $45 bottle of wine. It’s on there. And if you want to sit here and eat the whole menu and drink a $400 Bordeaux, we’re also your spot,” Culp said.
Sottise will also serve four low-cost, low ABV aperitifs to sip while perusing the menu, as well as eight cocktails. Options range from a refreshing sipper made with tequila blanco, rosemary and peach vinegar to a warming mix of mezcal, pineapple, chocolate and chai.
In addition to the cocktails, the bar will house three taps for a French beer, an American beer in a French style (like a local Saison) and a cider.
What to eat at Sottise
Rather than composed dishes with sauces and sides, each small plate at Sottise is designed to be ordered à la carte.
“The idea is for it to just kind of be whatever you want it to be. Whether you’re looking for just a few bites or if you’re looking for a full meal,” Noh explained.
“If it’s a croque, it’s just going to be the croque madame, you know? If it’s the escargot, it’s just the escargot. If it’s the tartar, it’s just the tartar. And then you get a baguette with it,” he said.
While Culp and Noh anticipate some customers might have apprehension about trying escargot, it’s one of the dishes Culp finds most exciting.
“As I get older, the simpler, just bigger, bolder flavors really kind of excite me. And there’s not a whole lot of escargot in this town,” he said.
Sottise will serve Escargot de Bourgogne, a variety of snails from Burgundy that are larger than the more common domestic varieties, Culp said.
Other items on the menu include warmed Camembert cheese with poached pears and hazelnut vinaigrette, beef tartare, steamed mussels with creme fraiche and crispy duck confit.
“I’m excited about it all,” Culp said. ‘It’s just food that I want to eat.”
‘We’re not going to take ourselves too seriously’
The name, Sottise, translates to foolishness or silliness in French. Culp hopes the restaurant embodies that and will become known as a place to have a good time.
“It’s more or less our way of just being like, hey, come down here, have a couple of drinks, have fun with your friends, listen to music, drink and we’re not going to take ourselves too seriously,” he said.
Sottise will crank the sound system and celebrate its grand opening on Thursday, Dec. 16. Reservations can be made starting on Dec. 9.
Details: 1025 N. Second St., Phoenix. @sottisephx on Instagram and sottisephx.com.
Reach the reporter at tirion.morris@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter at @tirionmorris, on Facebook at Tirion Rose and on Instagram at tirionrose.
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