Coming Soon: Bouche Bistro

Since it opened earlier this year, Grape Legs, a new wine shop on Ninth Street Northwest, has been winning over customers with generous sample tastings and an affordable selection. (Read more on Counter Intelligence, FreeRide and Daily Candy.)

And the owners have more in store for the neighborhood. Bouche Bistro is scheduled to open June 1 above the wine shop at 1905 Ninth St. NW. The 55-seat restaurant will feature a curved copper-topped bar, cowhide bar stools, church pew seating, chandeliers and candles.

As an extension of Grape Legs, the bistro will waive the corkage fee for wine purchased in the shop. (The fee will be $8 for outside wines.) Furthering what already sounds like great value — most of Grape Legs' wines are priced from $7 to $15 — the bistro will offer quarter-bottle pours of wine, guaranteeing you won't fork over more than the full price for a whole bottle.

The owners have planned an eclectic menu, featuring dishes such as quiche Lorraine with Westphalia ham, country bacon, shallots and Gruyere and Fontina cheeses, and green onion crepes with duck barbecue and hoisin vegetable slaw. Also on the menu: Smithfield ham biscuits, mussels, charcuterie, étouffée, cassoulet, baccala and chowder.

Behind both the wine shop and Bouche are owners Franco Clark (who selects the wine and is a former general manager at Local 16, U-topia and Tabaq), Bryan Deily (also an owner of DC9, The Red and the Black and The Rock and Roll Hotel) and Joey Belcher.

Plans also call for a small stage for nightly performances from local musicians and artists.