City Smoke closed on March 2, making way for a new restaurant from the owner of Aria. Kristen Wile/UP

Charlotte restaurateur Pierre Badar of Sonoma Restaurant Group is planning a new food and beverage concept in Uptown. The restaurant will replace City Smoke, which closed quietly on March 2. Badar’s new restaurant is Cicchetti, (pronounced “chee-KEH-tee”), a Venetian-style wine bar featuring the classic Italian small dish, cicchetti, and will serve as a retail wine store.

Cicchetti will be an interpretation of the classic Venetian wine bar known as bacaro, a casual spot where locals gather in the beginning of the late afternoon to enjoy wine and small savory bites for a pre-dinner snack and drink.

The food will be authentic Italian with selections like Polpettine di Manzo (beef meatballs), mini ricotta frittata, and scallop gratin. The wine will be an all-world selection by the glass, bottle, or case. Operations Manager and Wine Director Briana Cohen has plans to create a robust wine program including rotating wines, staff and customer education, and a delivery service within the Uptown footprint.

“The experience here could range from after-work or pre-dinner bites and drinks, to a leisurely meal of small Italian dishes over wine with friends, or a late evening nightcap and snacks,” says Badar. “But the shining star will be our impressive wine selection, priced at retail to go, or to be plucked from the shelf and enjoyed in-house for a small corkage fee. We’ll also offer a full bar, from which you can order wine by the glass or bottle, a variety of beers on tap, or craft cocktails curated by local mixologist Bob Peters.”

Badar, who also owns Aria Tuscan Grill next door, is planning for a June 2019 opening. Cicchetti will seat 81 guests at cocktail tables and banquettes with an additional 17 seats around the central bar, open Monday through Saturday from mid-afternoon to late night. Cicchetti will be located at 100 N. Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28202 in the former City Smoke location. —Justin Burke-Samson