This couple's next act is at a French restaurant near Wrightsville Beach
For Amy Siler, the closure of the Soif de Vin restaurant was a blow. She and husband, Shawn Underwood, worked side by side offering a curated wine-and-small plates experience.
The Monkey Junction restaurant closed last year. And, for a time, both partners moved onto other projects. Underwood worked with Wilmington Water Tours and was taking classes to become a captain. Siler, meanwhile, started to courses in holistic nutrition at a well-known French culinary school and worked at a small Carolina Beach spot, North End Mini Mart/Cafe.
There, among other duties, she baked tray after tray of fresh biscuits. At the time, it was the kind of cathartic, meditative work she needed, she said.
Eventually, though, she was ready to be part of a restaurant again. She soon connected with friend Rob Shapiro, who owns Sweet N Savory Café and Epicurean Bistro near Wrightsville Beach. It wasn't long before Siler agreed to manage the Bistro.
Of course, she then brought Underwood along with her.
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A new beginning
In many ways, the couple have picked up where they left off after they started working together many years ago at Treehouse Bistro in Carolina Beach. They discuss ideas for the restaurant at home and think about ways to make it better. This time, though, they have the support of Shapiro, and a larger staff than they had at Soif de Vin.
One recent evening, both Siler and Underwood were in the kitchen, preparing for dinner service with chefs Bart Williams and Austin Fain, while Rhiannon McAlister was setting up the bar. Underwood was butchering steaks, and Siler was prepping vegetables for a ratatouille.
It was like the stars aligned to make it all happen, Siler said.
It’s been a few weeks, but changes have already started – and more are on the way. They've added outdoor seating and herb planters and have focused their attention on a return to authentic French fare. They’ve started coffee service with local roasters Luna Caffe on Castle Street and promise that dishes like steak frites and chocolate mousse will be making an appearance.
What's ahead for the Bistro?
Siler and Underwood are also working with the health department to add equipment to make it easier to add classic fish dishes like Trout Almondine. Eventually, they’re also planning to bring a bar menu, along with (perhaps) brunch.
The bar menu will go hand-in-hand with the cocktail creations (like a New York Sour and French Martini) from McAlister, Underwood said.
"We'll have a really cool, classic French burger with brie," Siler said. "Duxelles that we had at Soif and was one of our best sellers. Duck confit eggrolls..."
And, as they put things in place, they're eager for their longtime fans to know where to find them.
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Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her ataballard@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Soif de Vin owners now at Epicurean Bistro restaurant in Wilmington
