Greg Bodnar knows wine bars. He owns the successful Market Avenue Wine Bar in Ohio City and Corks in Willoughby. But he also knows that even good ideas can stand some tweaking. So when his latest, Corks PlayhouseSquare, opens at 1415 Euclid Ave. in early November, fans of his other locations will notice a difference.

"This will be a little more on the contemporary side," Bodnar says, more sleek and polished than the traditional French bistro look of its older siblings. A local artist is providing paintings for the wall, and a Cleveland Institute of Art professor designed glass lights.

The menu will emphasize tapas and other simple dishes that can be served up quickly for the theater crowd, and libations will include "high-end cocktails" as well as wine.

An extensive renovation of the site, previously Hamilton's Martini Bar, is under way, and furniture is on order. Bodnar expects the "quaint and cozy" main dining room to seat about 45. "We're going to be the little guy on the block," he says, "but the place where people stay longer and come back more often."

Source: Greg Bodnar
Writer: Frank W. Lewis