Wine Down’s Caesar salad ($8) starts with a colorful bed of romaine lettuce and kale leaves and adds a hard-boiled egg, capers, shaved parmesan and a house-made Caesar dressing.If you go
› Where: Wine Down, 9431 Bradmore Lane, Suite 109, Ooltewah.› Phone: 423-531-WINE (9463).› Website: winedownbar.com.› Hours: 4-10 p.m. Monday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday, 4-11 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday.› Price range: $8-$11 (lunch), $10-$16 (dinner).› Alcohol: Beer and wine.
Braised short ribs at Wine Down in Ooltewah are served atop mashed parsnips, with heirloom carrots and a red wine/tomato braise ($15).When I first started working at the paper eight years ago, I was assigned to cover the Ooltewah/Collegedale area. While I was acutely aware of how removed it was from all the goings-on and growing options of downtown, I sometimes found myself thinking, “I could live here!” It seemed idyllic, with a sense of community all its own.
Fast-forward to now: The area is becoming a hubbub of activity in its own right. Multi-use developments are bringing new people – and options – to both Collegedale and Ooltewah. What was envisioned as a model for the city at the Waterside development, located at the edge of the hustle and bustle of East Brainerd, is working a few miles down the road, situated in a vast stretch of once-open land beyond the edge of those small towns. I’d heard so much about Cambridge Square and its growing list of tenants, which include Wine Down, a wine bar and restaurant, I had to check it out for myself.
THE SPACE
For some reason, I expected Wine Down to be much bigger than it is. Perhaps it was the number of articles I’d read or the thousands and thousands of “likes” and check-ins the restaurant has garnered on its Facebook page in the seven months it has been open. Though small, it’s not at all cramped, and there’s a back room for large parties.