The Owners of Joe Beef Are Opening a Seafood Spot Behind Liverpool House

The newest project from the owners of Joe Beef is slated to open next month.

Vinette, which will open mid-February in the 25-seat space located behind Liverpool House, is what owner Dave McMillan calls a “space within a space.”

While operating as its own restaurant, Vinette will also serve as overflow for the Joe Beef sister restaurant; it will serve its own seafood-oriented menu, but will operate under the Liverpool House license and will serve food from the neighbouring restaurant when it’s open from Tuesday through Saturday.

While Vinette’s food offerings are not yet set in stone, McMillan says he, co-owners Frédéric Morin and Allison Cunningham, and chef Gabriel Drapeau are looking at serving baked clams, shrimp cocktail, smoked fish (like sturgeon), chowder, and other “cheesy” seafood offerings that are now “out of vogue.” The restaurant will also be home to an elaborate oyster bar — and over the summer, may sell seafood towers to-go for patrons to take into Vinet Park, which the restaurant overlooks.

Vinette will also serve a range of natural wines and craft beers from its very own cellar.

McMillan says the restaurant’s launch will open new doors for his team: He hints at the possibility of keeping Vinette open on Sundays and Mondays — when his other restaurants are closed — depending on interest and availability from his staff. He and Morin are looking into doing a table d’hote (which might occassionally be entirely vegan, he says) on those nights.

He also hopes to use the space for private events. While McMillan says he’s always wanted to hold events for visting chefs, winemakers, and sommelliers, shutting down his other more popular restaurants to do so has never been an option. The new space, which is large enough for groups but intimate enough to close on occasion, is the perfect place to make this happen.

• Vinette [Instagram]