A Gorgeous Natural Wine Bar Hidden in Plain Sight
&Holiday is secreted in the back of an eyeglass shop in the Meatpacking
Over the weekend I finally got to see the Edward Hopper show at the Whitney which was terrific. I’ve been a fan of his forever, and this show of his New York City paintings and drawings was particularly moving. He has this way, as you know, of looking in on private moments that stirs up a sense of wonder and curiosity. There are stories and pasts, loves and losses, lurking in every painting. His work invites you to go inside the light and the shadow and the glances and gazes of his paintings and search for what’s underneath; for the symptoms of our shared condition known as humanity. There is that sense of intrusion into private thought, and perhaps into your own thoughts as well. All of which is to say his paintings do what art is meant to do, to arrest you, to make you feel, to simmer emotion. So, yes, a good show.
After the visit, my friend Kiri and I walked through the Meatpacking when we stumbled upon a Valentine’s Day party for French Bulldogs (hilarious and adorable, and wait, what?), and a lovely eyewear shop called Krewe, a sunny, bright space decorated with marble and granite slabs and open shelves of glamorous eyewear and sunglasses. Kiri was in need of a new pair of glasses so we went inside to have a look.
I was quite thirsty when we entered the shop, and I asked if they had any tap water to spare for a parched shopper. (I had gone for a run and I usually carry a water bottle, but forgot mine at home.) They said sure, not only do we have water, but we have wine! I did a double take. Excuse me? You have wine in a sunglasses store?
Yes, said the lovely gentleman, who was already handing me a can of sparkling LaCroix and a bottle of flat to choose from. “We have a natural wine parlor here,” he said. “Come and meet our Director of Hospitality!”
And so we did.
As he promised, there is indeed a gorgeous natural wine parlor called &Holiday secreted in the rear of Krewe—a New Orleans import which opened about two months ago on a crowded stretch of luxury shops on Gansevoort Street.
&Holiday is run by Wine Director Toussaint Stackhouse and Darby Wagner (pictured above), a passionate young sommelier formerly of June Wine Bar and Bar Bete. The pair have curated a tidy list of natural wines with a deep emphasis on indigenous grapes from Italy and France, but also some less obvious regions like Hungary, Georgia, Greece, and the Canary Islands. The parlor offers six wines by glass, many more by the bottle, and also zero proof tea ferments. Right now there’s not a food menu, but it is in the works.
While you sip, you can hang out by the curved marble bar, or move to the parlor, a sumptuous 70s-style living room with deep couches, snug tables for two, and ruby red velvet armchairs that swivel and swirl. Cookbooks and plants line the shelves and a working fireplace keeps you cozy.
Every Sunday at 3pm Darby and Toussaint do a casual “Chat & Chill” where they open a bottle of wine and pours tastes for guests in the shop and passersby who can sit and relax in the lounge, getting to know each other and the wine at hand.
In addition to running the wine parlor, Darby and Toussaint are also organizing events and salons, like a recent one for Sofar Sounds, a roving concert series that sets up in nontraditional spaces.
On February 9th, check out their Gansevoort Salon from 7:30pm-10pm, and on the 10th, there’s Jazz in the Parlor from 8:30-11:30pm. &Holiday is also launching an "UNWINED" series beginning this month: a themed, all-inclusive wine and food gathering that dives into specific wine portfolios, featuring some of the best importers and winemakers in the natural wine world.
To be sure, there are plenty of lovely bars and restaurants to enjoy wine in the city, but there’s not that many that focus only on natural wine (Rhodora in Ft. Greene is a fave), which makes &Holiday unique.
There’s also something enchanting about this little wine salon hidden in the back of an elegant eyewear shop. It’s intimate and beautiful and a little bit of a secret, which makes it feel that much more special.
Darby is such a wonderful host, and I hope you’ll pop in and say hi, or consider the space if you need a great spot to host a birthday party or an event. I’ll be planning one for Strong Buzz subscribers so stay tuned for details!
&Holiday is open 7 days a week
Sun-Thurs 11-7, Fri-Sat 11-8
67 Gansevoort St. NY, NY