Karen Kistler

karen.kistler@salisburypost.com

 

SALISBURY — New owners have taken the helm of Carpe Vinum 121 Bistro/Wine Bar/Raw Bar, which is located at 121 South Main St., Salisbury, adding to their extensive resumé.

Rich and Doreen Luhrs of Granite Quarry bought the restaurant six months ago and, as Rich said, they are working to make it a personal experience.

He said that he and Doreen try hard to greet everyone that visits the restaurant; however, sometimes they might miss someone, but they try as best they can.

“We want this to be a place where you are comfortable and enjoying everything that is put in front of you,” he said.

Rich said that he has been involved in multiple careers, beginning with boat racing at age nine, an engineering clerk at a trucking company at age 18 becoming a consultant. He then owned a trucking company and became an executive in a larger trucking company, and worked, he said, with Nancy Shevell, the wife of Paul McCartney. He also has had a video career, serving as the voice of power boat racing for 20 years.

He has three books he wants to write, one about boat racing, one about trucking, and one, he said, “on why hot fudge is better than caramel and butterscotch, noting that it’s just the meaning of life.”

Doreen, he noted, has worked for a high-end wine importer for 30 years and since then has been strictly involved with dogs. She is an AKC judge, plus she has groomed dogs, bred them and raised them. When they lived in New Jersey, she owned a major grooming shop.

The couple was not intending to go into the restaurant business and was actually looking for something to scale down their lifestyles, but not just be sedentary.

It was while Rich was visiting one Friday that the bartender told him to bring his wife by before they closed. She was judging a dog show at the time and Rich told him it would be hard for her to get there that evening before the business closed.

He said the bartender clarified the statement, no, we’re closing the place in two weeks, to which Rich said, “that makes no sense, what’s going on?”

Previously owned by Paul Bardinas who owns Freirich Foods was wanting to sell as Rich said, it wasn’t his main source of income. Paul and his wife had opened it five years ago and went through COVID and had faced some other difficulties in the business and just wanted to close it down.

Rich said he and several others were sitting at the bar that night and thought what a shame for the place to close and being regulars, they thought about buying it themselves.

The next morning, he said, the others changed their minds, but he didn’t. He and Doreen discussed it and spoke with Bardinas and after continued discussion about the pros and cons, he said, “we wound up doing a deal.”

When the customers heard that it was staying open, Rich said they were “very happy when we announced it was staying open. Actually they were cheering.”

After the transfer of ownership was done, the proper licenses were applied for and received and inspections completed, he said, that’s how it came about that they owned it.

“It was way beyond anything we had anticipated doing. Now it’s a full-time job for both of us.”

Since taking over, he said they have made lots of changes including being open for lunch and Sunday brunch.

He also noted that of the 13 original employees, only two were left, and they have a new chef, bartender and serving staff.

“In cooperation with the new landlord, we completely cleared out the patio so we now have firepits out there, seating areas,” adding that they serve lots of people outside in the nice weather.

When it’s cold, they have blankets and heaters for them as well.

The outdoor seating has been a welcome option, Rich said, noting that they have had people sitting out there till well past closing time enjoying wine, and “they are enjoying it the way we envisioned.”

The menu has changed as well, as Rich said, they have been “able to upgrade the menu with more dinner centric” upping the number of entrees.

While he said the quality of the food was not bad before, but he did say they were bring it up to gourmet, high-end offerings including specialties such as a Cowboy Ribeye Steak, some wonderful lamb chops, Foie gras, seafood offerings, tuna tartare, beef tartare, Wagyu beef burger and things of that nature. 

At lunch, one can get a sandwich as he said they have one of the best Italian sandwiches in the state and homemade chips, which are made in duck fat.

As for Sunday brunch, they would have Croque Monsieur and Croque Madame, which are French breakfast offerings.

Their raw bar, Rich said, would have the fresh raw oysters, primarily sourced from the North Atlantic and they would sometimes have clams.

Rich said they would expand an already expansive wife list, and expand the bar offerings as well, noting that they have “a new mixologist, bartender, who’s as good as anyone in the state.” 

Additional changes they are hoping to make include some seasonal changes as he said “we’re looking for more farm to table, some more local sourcing, that kind of thing. We are looking to be competitive with any of the best restaurants in Charlotte. That’s a journey. We’ve made inroads in that regard, but I don’t believe we’re there yet. That will take a lot of work.”

He also anticipates some live music being included sometime in the future at the bistro, he said.

They have had some pre-fixed menus during holidays and sold out the Valentine’s menus. They will be having an Easter morning brunch with some special items on the menu and a Mother’s Day dinner and brunch.

He said there would be information about these on their Facebook page, Instagram, Tik Tok and they also have a growing mailing list. The website is being updated and details can be found on that site as well, which is carpevinum121.com.

Other events being planned, Rich said, include a bourbon and cigar night, a wine pairing dinner, and a saké/sushi pairing.

He said that he and Doreen are “friends with some of the top sushi chefs in New York, and we are going to bring one of them down here” for that event.

The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner from 4:30-10 p.m.; Wednesday through Saturday for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; and Sunday for brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The location has been many things before what it is now, he said, and “the whole atmosphere is special,” noting that it’s probably 150 years old, built in the late 19th century with brick walls and 150-year-old flooring.

Rich said that he and Doreen went from half an acre in New Jersey to their 23 acres in Granite Quarry, and they love North Carolina.

“The change from the north has been really rewarding,” he said. “I think it’s going to keep me younger, I’ll live longer down here and so will my wife.” 

“We’re looking to be a destination restaurant,” he said, and one thing he wanted the community to know is that what they are trying to do with the business is “bring a big city experience to Salisbury while maintaining a personal atmosphere, a local atmosphere. We don’t want this to become something unwelcoming. We don’t want this to be frigid or unwelcoming or cold where it’s just about the food. We want this to be welcoming for the community.”

He said that many customers who were regulars previously have thanked them “because Salisbury deserves this,” a message he said he has heard repeatedly.