The SOMM Journal

June / July 2016

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28 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } JUNE/JULY 2016 { real somm stories } Parkside It's on 6th Street so the demographic is wide open and it's always busy. We can do 300 guests on a Tuesday night. It's a better environment for being straightforward and solid with cuisine and service, so the wine list follows suit. But while we have less obscure varietals, I've pulled out all the Italian and Spanish stuff to allow it to become every - thing else. We have really fun and interesting bottles from Portugal and Austria, Germany and the Southern Hemisphere. It's a great, broad-based showcase. Olive & June This is the only restaurant with a cellar, so it's the deepest program and it's all about showcasing the best of Italy. I'm partial to the wines of Italy; it's a complicated coun - try with all these somewhat autonomous regions, and we can explore it in-depth here. We can go deep with, say, Barolo, if we want. But seating guests is much more complicated here. We're three stories with two different outside dining areas. What happens when a sudden storm blows in and everyone on the patios need to get inside? Trying to be a meteorologist is part of the job here. Backspace It's simple: pizza. We're 32 seats, so length of dining time is important. We don't want to rush anyone, but we try to be conscious of the time it takes to eat a pizza and a couple antipasti dishes. We have 25 labels, all Italian, and so the focus is tight. It's a much different skill set to convey what I'm trying to say about Italy in 25 steps rather than the 250 we have at Olive & June. Bullfight Timing is key with tapas—it's a constant balance of pumping out small plates. I'm always thinking logistics at Bullfight, the pace of one's meal, the order the dishes come out. That machine has to be well-oiled and dialed-in. Some nights my main priority is bussing tables and filling water glasses. It's all Spanish wines, and it could be easy to do all Grenache and Tempranillo, but there are sublime Albariños and Monastrells to introduce to diners, too. And lots of Sherry, and vermouth with the cocktail program— they've got be in the foreground to build a proper tapas culture. BEVERAGE DIRECTOR, PARKSIDE PROJECTS, AUSTIN, TEXAS Paul Ozbirn "I'M PRETTY MOBILE," PAUL OZBIRN says, and it's a bit of an understatement. The Advanced Sommelier is Beverage Director for Parkside Projects in Austin, and there are four projects involved: a New American gastro pub in the tourist-driven 6th Street district, an East Side Italian restaurant, a tapas restaurant on the near East Side, and a Downtown pizzeria. "We also have offices on the East Side, but I'm really in no one place more than another." Once Ozbirn is on location, then it's all about pivoting to each property's individual personality—and there are no repeats with Parkside. He says, "I do like to speak of the company as having an overreaching philosophy of high quality and standards," while also acknowledg - ing that each property is unique in style, size and scope and needs its sovereignty recognized. Plus, he needs to jump in wherever needed, because it's never just about the alcohol. Here are Ozbirn's pivot points, depending on where he finds himself: by Anthony Head / photo by Kirk Weddle If it's Olive & June, it's Italian wines for Parkside Projects' Beverage Director Paul Ozbirn.

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