The long-awaited bistro just made its debut at Mabel’s Market. The picnic and gourmet gift store expanded into the back of its building, adding bar and table seating for lunch and – by this fall – tapas dinner.
The motto for what’s now called Mabel’s Market & Bistro is, “Joyfully bringing people together,” and that’s the vibe in this beautifully thought-out space at 222 D St. Owner Shelley Dunning quietly opened Mabel’s for lunch on Thursday. It offers tapas from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays.
During the bistro’s soft opening, the store up front is still open until 6 p.m. The goal is to have both aspects of the business open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (possibly 9 p.m. on the weekends), with coffee and pastries in the morning, and tapas for lunch and dinner. Dinner hours could come in October.
“I really want to provide an upscale, casual place for people to share food and enjoy a glass of wine,” she said. “I want them to relax and stay for a while, and feel like it’s a warm and comfortable place to be.”
There’s a limited selection of wine cocktails and mocktails, with plans to add a full wine and canned beer list soon. Training is underway, and Dunning hopes to serve wine by next week. “When we come out of the chute with that, I want us to be able to tell a table about the wine.”
The bistro specializes in small plates and tapas that are designed to share as a snack or a meal. The menu includes starters, shareable plates and boards. (Read on for the full menu.)
