Collegiate Times

Studying abroad in Spain in summer 2009, junior marketing major Erin Connor experienced minor culture shock — not so much from the nude beaches or the apparent resurrection of the mullet, but more from the odd meal times.

“Meals are so different in Spain than what we’re used to. A normal dinner would be around 10 p.m., or later,” Connor said. This delay, however, allowed Connor to adopt a very Spanish tradition: “ir de tapas,” or “going for tapas.”

This Spanish version of happy hour features individuals heading to their favorite local spot for tapas, small delicacies that vary in ingredients and are served more like appetizers to be shared among a few people.

The tradition has evolved to be much less about satisfying hunger, and more about sharing wine and stories with some amigos, Connor said.

"It was kind of a social thing for us,” she said. “We’d get a bottle of wine and just hang out for a couple hours.”

This same concept of having an establishment that focuses on a tradition such as ir de tapas is one that was recently proposed to Lefty’s Bar and Grill just a few months ago by Virginia Tech professor John Boyer.

“We got to talking, and John brought up the idea of a wine bar, saying he’s been trying to open one in town for years,” Sam Catron said, the restaurant’s general manager. “We really liked the idea. ... Even though John decided he didn’t have the time needed to invest in it, we decided to still do it on our own with his recommendations.”

The idea has evolved, with many hours of arduous planning and strenuous renovations, into what will be 622 North, a restaurant and wine bar with a tapas menu. The name of the restaurant, taken directly from its address, will be at the former location of Bogen’s Steakhouse. 

Aside from wine and food, the restaurant will also offer an extensive list of beers on tap.

“No other place in town will have a bar like this,” Catron said. “We’ll have 14 taps, each with different beers that you don’t find often.”

This, in addition to large outdoor seating areas, live music and a simple decor highlighted by the work of local artists, will come to define 622 North.

However, the main focus is on the wine bar and the food pairings that will accompany each vintage. Executive chef George Kruse explains that the tapas-heavy menu he has created will have more than just the Spanish influences usually associated with the term.

“It’s more of a small-plates menu, featuring an international bistro type fare that draws inspiration from lots of different types of cuisines,” Kruse said. “My experience is in all types of cuisine, so the food will have as much European influence as Asian, African, South American as well as American.”

Trent Crabtree, the sommelier and wine bar manager for 622 North, has worked intently with Kruse to create dishes that compliment the chosen wines. He has also worked to build a wine list that will highlight Kruse’s creations.

“We’ll have 20 to 30 tasting wines, which will all compliment the small plates menu,” Crabtree said. “The rest of the wine list will be built off of those.”

622 North is set to open toward the end of April. While work has been progressing on the restaurant, downtown has begun to buzz in anticipation for Blacksburg’s first wine and tapas bar.

“It’s amazing — we’ve already received tremendous hype,” Crabtree said. “Honestly, we can’t wait to exceed everyone’s expectations.”

A version of this article appeared in the Mar 24 issue of the Collegiate Times.