“It’s more about the idea, the general embodiment, of being the younger sibling – someone who gets away with a little bit more, is a little less concerned with tradition, is willing to blaze their own trail or path,” says co-owner and actual kid sister Casey Lewandrowski. She's creating the wine bar with her sister Courtney (who is also technically a kid sister of their older brother) and friend Dej Lambert.
The experience at Kid Sister will take inspiration from Parisian and American bistros in cities like New York and Los Angeles. Courtney calls Kid Sister a "neo-bistro," saying it's “a wine bar that has a great dining experience but doesn’t take itself too seriously."
The food and beverage program is helmed by chef Isaac Mendoza and advanced sommelier Zac Adcox, two alumni of the widely acclaimed Progress, formerly known as Restaurant Progress. Bringing Mendoza and Adcox on board, “our concept grew and it’s even more exciting with all the pieces put together,” Courtney says.
The Lewandrowski sisters brought the group together – each bringing different experiences in hospitality and business.
“We all were looking to push ourselves in the next chapter of our lives,” Casey says. “We see that the city is growing and changing and we want to be a part of that.”
Kid Sister will take over the 40-seat space previously occupied by vegan restaurant and bakery Whyld Ass Cafe. The team is hoping to open in September.
The forthcoming wine bar and bistro Kid Sister will take over the 40-seat space formerly occupied by vegan restaurant and bakery Whyld Ass Cafe.
Sara Crocker
What’s on the menu
The food menu will feature a regularly rotating list of eight to 10 plates, Mendoza says. He’ll focus on seasonal, local and responsibly-sourced ingredients to create dishes that give diners the flexibility to try the entire menu, come in for a pre-dinner snack and glass of wine or wind down an evening with dessert and a nightcap. The team plans to create a choose-your-own-adventure kind of experience.“Having fun is not being stuck to a schedule,” Mendoza says. “I don’t want people to think about their schedule when they’re dining with us.”
While Mendoza’s experience at Progress along with Kid Sister's Parisian influence may imply a certain type of cuisine, Mendoza says he doesn’t want to put the menu in a box.
“I don’t want us to be limited to just that food style or genre, I want us to be fluid, just like the wine can be fluid,” says the chef, who is currently cooking at the recently relocated Sauvage Wine Bar & Shop on McDowell Road. There, he’s serving a rotating menu of small plates Thursdays through Sundays while the space at Kid Sister is finalized.
At Kid Sister, Mendoza plans to draw on the totality of his cooking experience, which has spanned cuisines. Casey describes it as “causal but thoughtful, and definitely technique-driven."
The goal will be to focus on simplicity, Mendoza adds, letting the ingredients shine while allowing the wine to be the star.
Kid Sister’s bottle list will include between 70 and 100 bottles, as well as a rotating list of wines by the glass. The team's goal is to bridge the gap between the natural wine-centric downtown offerings and the more traditional wine bars found throughout Scottsdale and the East Valley. Adcox, who is currently a sommelier at Scottsdale fine dining destination Cafe Monarch, notes that Kid Sister's list will include wines from around the world.
“We’re here to say yes to everything,” he says of the experience he wants guests to have.
The Kid Sister team hopes to introduce people to new wines while providing a casual space to explore and learn.
“We want to be able to have a curated list that provides range and balance,” Casey says. “We want wine to be approachable. We’ve all had our own different journeys with wine … but one thing we all agree on is it’s important to have an environment where people feel comfortable learning about wine.”
The vibe
For the interiors, the Kid Sister team is working with Oscar Lopez of desertWORKS Studio in Tucson, who while with space BUREAU, designed the central Phoenix shop Local Nomad and Tucson pizzeria Anello. Their aim is to create a modern but homey space and to recreate the energy they found while exploring bistros in Paris.“It is modern, it is clean, but it’s also going to be comfortable," Casey says.
As a neighborhood spot, "we want it to feel like it's always been there," Casey adds. Guests will be able to carve out space at a banquet or perch outside on the porch at a drink rail. Customers will also meet the team, who will be serving and helping guests select wines.
“People who come and dine with us will get to know us,” Casey says. “All together we really formed this unique and interesting team.”
Adcox agrees, adding that Kid Sister is a culmination of all their different experiences. And, they're building it together, he says, "the funnest part is these are my best friends."
Kid Sister
Opening planned for September4810 N. Seventh Street
kidsisterphx.com
