The Vintner and The Baker is set to take a day-to-night approach at 949 Washington Street in downtown Durham, where chef Alex Catotti and pastry chef Erin Kobler plan to open the concept alongside Restaurant Cornelia in spring 2027. During an interview with WhatNow Charlotte, the couple described a space that will transition from a bakery and coffee shop in the morning into a full-service wine bar and restaurant in the evening.
For Kobler, the daytime program will center on pastries made with seasonal ingredients. She said the selection will feature laminated products, with seasonal fruits and vegetables rotating through danishes, croissants and brioche buns.
“I’m a pastry chef, and as such there will be a lot of laminated products, a lot of seasonal fruit and veg rotating through different danishes or croissants or brioche buns,” Kobler told WhatNow Charlotte.
Coffee will be another key part of the morning service. Kobler said the program will include espresso and coffee offerings approached through a culinary lens, including cold brew with mint and cardamom and Turkish iced coffee.
“That’s kind of what Alex and I like to make and what we like to drink,” she said.
The daytime service is expected to run from roughly 7 or 8 a.m. into the afternoon before the space shifts into its evening format. Catotti said the pastry case will sit near the bar, with the layout allowing that area to transition into seating later in the day.
By evening, The Vintner and The Baker will operate as a full-service wine bar and restaurant with small plates. Catotti said the food will offer a more approachable price point than the fine-dining experience at Restaurant Cornelia while still reflecting the couple’s seasonal and creative cooking.
He pointed to dishes such as barbecued squash with hazelnut praline and smoked hazelnut, as well as bitter radicchio served with a vinaigrette made from the previous year’s squash miso.
“So really delicious and kind of creative and unique food but still grounded in delicious seasonal fare that’s maybe a bit more approachable and certainly at a much lower price point,” Catotti told WhatNow Charlotte.
Wine will play a central role at night. Catotti said the list will emphasize low-intervention wines and smaller, less-recognized producers, mirroring the couple’s preference for thoughtful sourcing in the kitchen.
The two concepts will also share a sustainability-minded approach, with Catotti explaining that ingredients and products can be cross-utilized between The Vintner and The Baker and Restaurant Cornelia to help reduce waste. While the concepts will have distinct identities, he said The Vintner and The Baker reflects the kind of food and drink he and Kobler enjoy making, eating and sharing with friends and family.
The Vintner and The Baker and Restaurant Cornelia are expected to open roughly one to two weeks apart in spring 2027, although the couple has not yet determined which concept will open first.
