Premise

I was so sad to see In Fine Spirits go and was perplexed why someone would take a good, what appeared to be very profitable venture, and shut it down. If it’s not broken, then don’t fix it. But since they were so successful with the first run, they must know what they’re doing, right? Wrong! The new restaurant is a disaster and that can be further emphasized by the fact that we went on a Saturday night and at 8:00 and it was only half-​filled (and for good reason).
In Fine Spirits had an amazing drink menu that evolved with the seasons. This place … I searched up and down the menu and had a hard time finding something to drink that sounded appealing.
The food … way too pretentious for a neighborhood restaurant. And artificially pretentious. NOTHING was executed well. This is a restaurant trying desperately to compete with the L2Os and Alineas of the world, but has an equal chance of getter there as the Golden Nugget. My shrimp tasted as though they were 3 – 4 days old. Our amuse bouche did everything but amuse, especially as it was under-​seasoned. The Maine Cod … well cooked, but the accompanying potatoes were way undercooked. I could hardly get my fork into them. My friend’s melon salad included unripe melon (she had better melon at a cheap hotel’s breakfast buffet). When my friend ordered the lamb and asked for it to be served rare, she was scolded by the waitress who said that it was «PERFECT» medium-​rare and that was the only option. Her lamb came out tasting like gyro meat and was underwhelmed by the sauce. Oh and if you order a glass of sparkling wine. beware. It may have been sitting around for several days (mine had lost all fizz). We each spent $ 100 on two horribly prepared courses and drinks. Not at all worth it. The only saving grace was the wonderful bread with tarragon-​lime butter served on an awkwardly large plate.
The other reviewers of this place complained about portion size. I usually disregard those statements thinking that the reviewers are normally all-​you-​can-​eat buffet people. But they’re actually right, in this case. The entrée-​sized fish course included what appeared to be a 3-​oz fish filet, one (undercooked) fingerling potato, and, four petite fiddlehead ferns. That’s an entrée? That’s worth $ 25, especially since the potatoes and fiddlehead ferns weren’t properly cooked or seasoned? How about $ 18 for 3 old shrimp from the back of the freezer? I’m willing to pay for good food, but this was not quality food.
The atmosphere … well it appears that one of those HGTV reality shows did a $ 500 makeover of this place. Slap some cheap chalkboard paint on the wall and throw up some cheap blackout curtains to block out all views of the neighborhood. Reupholster some cheap yard-​sale chairs and bring out the Walmart silverware. And there you have it … a new restaurant.
There is absolutely no way that this place is going to make it with the many great other options in the neighborhood.

Work to be done here. If your gonna do a tasting menu you have to be able to execute at a high level. So much time between courses.

I know, why even bother now with this review. Premise is closed and in such a controversial way! The owner’s decision to sell the space without notice to the staff or even head chef, most certainly left a bad taste in their mouth. Just like it did with us, when they made the decision to change what used to be In Fine Spirits. IFS was a neighborhood favorite despite not being full every night but honestly, what places are these days?! And then there is the matter of the article written about said closure and the misguided anger towards the neighborhood… I hear ya, I’m not so happy about the writer blaming A-​ville either. A-​ville has seen restaurants come and go but has always been open to change (I think most were just confused by the change when IFS was in it’s prime).
So… on to the review
I can only guess, that when you’re going to open a restaurant in an area that you’re really trying to get the locals to come in. Then by word of mouth or whatever you get people from all over but it’s those regulars from the area that are your bread and butter. That all being said, I totally got what they were trying to go for, but unfortunately «fine» dinning is not what this area is about. That’s not to say A-​ville doesn’t have or want «fine» dinning but just not like Premise was trying to bring. I think the area could have handled it, that is… if you didn’t get that overwhelming pretentiousness feeling as soon as you walked in.
Yep pretentious, it’s like it oozed off the walls. The décor, the first greeting, our waiter trying really hard to push the 12 course $ 110 per person + wine pairing for an extra $ 87 meal on us (he was relentless), and then there is the prices per quantity issue. Who want to pay that much and leave hungry. The absolute worst part for me was the chef (not sure if it was the head chef or just who was running the kitchen that night) leaning against the door jam of the open kitchen staring harshly out into the dining room for all the customers to see. I even passed in front of him trying to smile but then I quickly ducked into the bathroom in fear of his unwavering scowl. As for the staff, it took some time but they eventually they lightened up a little and were joking with us but not the chef, stone cold.
The food in opinion was creative, artistic, skillful, full of individual flavor, but some dishes just lacked a cohesiveness that you would have expected and especially for the prices they charge.
Amuse Bouche –I didn’t know it at the time was a fusion of the meals that were already offered, so it was more like a sample of what was to come. So be it.
Honeydew compressed sphere with candied crunch $ 8 –Super tasty but where is the rest of it? Sure it was beautiful but I’m hungry and certain elements didn’t fit together. I generally don’t eat one item at a time, I throw it all together but that could just be me.
Crisp falafel w/​lentil tabouli, sweet celery $ 19 –Amazing plating again and the crisp on the falafel was exciting… then I took a bite… it really, really bummed me out. I love falafel and it’s amazing how many places get it wrong. This housed some sort of flavorless paste, instead of ground chickpeas or fava beans but then again maybe it was chickpeas but it tasted like chalk. $ 19 plate it was not.
King salmon –almonds twice, fennel three times $ 26 –Salmon was cooked well and the fennel foam was awesome but the plate lacked that cohesiveness. That something that brings the whole plate together.
Chocolate ganache | olive oil and bread $ 9 –Brilliant!
It’s true the location has always had amazing mixologists but beware the liquor bill!
Executive Chef Brian Runge is indeed talented and I think with a little more time Premise would have thrived here. I could have just walked into a bad night with the staff but the chefs attitude really put me off.

closed

So, here’s the thing about Premise, the new-​ish restaurant in the space formerly home to In Fine Spirits. It is NOT In Fine Spirits. If you were a great big fan of In Fine Spirits, it super blows that your local hang closed down. I get it. I feel for you. There, there. But, time marches on, the sun also rises, and now the spot is home to Premise, as restaurant which, one can tell from the name, is not In Fine Spirits. They’re spelled completely differently. That’s your first clue.
The second clue that this is not going to be just another night at the local watering hole (that closed down months ago) is that they really are trying to rock the fine dining thing, not a casual stop-​by-​for-​a-​quick-​bite thing. And they’re doing a damn fine job, if I do say so myself.
We just had a lovely meal at Premise and chose the 5 course tasting menu with wine pairings. Each glass was perfect, with really generous pours that took me well past its specific course. The fella got the five courses as described on the menu, but I had to be difficult with my no-​meat «policy.» Our extremely friendly and helpful waiter seemed pretty confident that the chef could figure something out, and the chef himself came out to confirm my limitations and every course was meat free and overall very tasty.
The amuse was good, and first course was a fun and pretty plate of vegetables, deliciously prepared. The second, compressed melon, was really good. My third was a weird mix of the sides from two of the meat courses. I was glad I got to try the sides from both, and they were pretty tasty, but they had no business being on the same plate. The falafel was tasty and unique, not really what I would call a falafel. The dessert was spectacular. We finished the meal very happy and very full.
Both the meat and veg meals were good sized portions and I don’t think I could possibly have eaten anymore. I knocked a star off because the vegetarian tasting option they have listed on the menu seemed more like an afterthought and the dishes didn’t always seem like a cohesive idea. That said, for $ 50 for the meal, and $ 37 for the pairing, I feel like we got a hell of a deal on some really good food and wine, and an overall good time.
Afterwards, we went upstairs for a cocktail, which was great and served by friendly, helpful staff. The lounge was super dim and cozy. I will definitely head back there for a drink soon. As for the dining room, I’ll probably wait for a special occasion.
All in, this is a good spot for a special treat, but it’s not going to be like In Fine Spirits, because it doesn’t want to be. Those going to the old In Fine Spirits location may be disappointed to discover the change over, but try to have an open mind about it. Or at least stop blaming Premise for the loss of In Fine Spirits, as I’m fairly certain Premise did not stage a coup on IFS, and is not directly responsible for your pain.

Brian Runge is an insanely talented, innovative chef.
I love Premise! Lounge-​y bar upstairs and the kings or queens room & balcony!
Perfect for a par-​tay!!!
The melon salad was so refreshing! Between the two types of cucumber; pickled and fresh, the buttermilk espuma, crispy to-​die-​for peanuts and those insanely delightful melon balls made my mouth very happy! Genius.
The lobster and snapper dishes were also to die for. Even though I am not the biggest meat eater, those chorizo stuffed squash blossoms were amazing! The corn relish was the perfect combo of spicy and sweet! All of the cocktails and wine pairings are spot on.
I still dream of many of his spring creations as well. Chef Brian Runge is a genius! This is just what Andersonville needs! Don’t listen to the haters.

I went here on Friday with my sister to celebrate her recent graduation, and we were both blown away by the service, the atmosphere and the menu!
As soon as we arrived, we were seated on the lovely back patio for a pre-​dinner cocktail. Both of our drinks were light and refreshing on a hot, humid summer day.
After drinks, we went inside and chose the 8-​course tasting menu. While the waiter gave us the option to take a few picks from the menu, we chose to put most of our options in the hands of Chef Brian Runge. I’ve had Chef’s menus before from his days at Graham Elliot, so I knew that he would send out something good, but we were truly blown away by the end of the evening.
Our favorite dish was the King Salmon. I’m not a huge salmon fan, but this dish was so unbelievable that my sister and I were giggling over it. This salmon, almond and fennel combination was like no other fish dish I’ve ever had.
A close second was Chef’s take on foie. I’ve had foie gras in almost every way you could possibly present it in this city, but this one is by far my favorite – foie paired with delicious biscuits and jam created a savory, rich, sweet flavor in every bite.
When they brought out the pork belly and coffee combo, I was a little skeptical, but the coffee added a smoky and unique flavor that proved successful and very memorable.
We also loved the lamb, lobster, honeydew and squash blossom dishes. Basically, every single time a dish was brought out, we squealed.
Whereas Graham Elliot Bowles can often go a little too kitschy with some dishes, Chef Runge truly knows how to be playful with food while creating truly memorable and delicious dishes.
Also, we really loved the atmosphere. It had a great classy vibe, but without any sort of stuffy pretense. I felt like I could easily stop in for a laid-​back evening with a couple dishes and a few cocktails on the patio or I could go all out on a romantic date night at one of the tables. And the servers were all very friendly, professional and knowledgeable.
I never went to In Fine Spirits, but from what I can tell, most of the negative reviews on here have more to do with the fact that people have not actually taken the time to experience what Premise has to offer without lamenting the loss of a favorite neighborhood spot. It is certainly a new and different take on an old and clearly beloved space, but I think anyone who tries it will soon fall in love with everything Premise has to offer. Perhaps I don’t know what was lost, but I do know that every single part of my meal at Premise, from start to finish, was a delicious and fun experience.
I will certainly be back, and I can’t wait to see where this chef does for the next menu!

Met a friend here for drinks, so this is for the upstairs area. I really like the look/​feel of upstairs, nice lounge. The only thing was the a/​c was blowing right in our faces, but no big deal. Drinks selection was great as usual for the former IFS, now Premise. Our service was decent, except when it came to food.
We ordered the «house-​made beer nuts», which should be pretty easy, right!?! Well, 45 minutes later we get this bowl of stuff that was like the leftovers from the Costco mixed nut bowl. We did mention the time on waiting for a simple item and received the defensive dissertation from our server about entering the kitchen. Sounds like the kitchen may not be a friendly place just listening this stuff.
All that said, I’d come back for drinks but steer clear of ordering food, no matter how simple/​basic.

Premise: a restaurant so complexly wrong it can be enjoyed only as a psychosocial experiment, or a piece of masochistic experimental theater.
We went there this past Friday to celebrate a dear friend’s birthday. The prices left us agog, the portions required a scanning electron microscope, the service was both fussy and arrogant, and the amuse-​bouche served at the start of the meal was literally inedible. And I will eat ANYTHING.
This is one of those restaurants where the menu spells out every single ingredient in each dish (broccoli roots, lark eyeballs, etc.) — but it neglects to mention that the fish dish my friend G (a pescatarian) ordered is slathered with ham gravy. When he brought it up to the server, but he was dissuaded from ordering it without the gravy because it was a «really integral part of the dish.» — and was then chided for not mentioning his special dietary needs.
Ten minutes later, the server accidentally poured our friend a glass of rose instead of the red Malbec he ordered, and when it was pointed out to him, he said, «There, now we’ve BOTH made a mistake.» !!! Really?! That’s what you say to people who are paying $ 11 per person for something called «compressed melon,» which turns out to be five (5) honeydew melon balls the size of Peanut M&Ms? Where falafel costs $ 19? Our table was breathless at the audacity of these and other remarks.
The entire experience felt like you’d walked into some kind of experimental interactive theater for foodie masochists. Somebody, somewhere, must get off on this sort of thing. In my book, when it comes to food, you have to hit on at least one of the following cylinders:
1. Tastiness.
2. Quantity: doesn’t have to be Old Country Buffet, but you know what I mean. A certain amount of real estate on the plate. Five tiny melon balls is not a salad. You don’t want to leave hungry.
3. Service: Don’t be a jerkface.
4. Value: It’s OK for food to cost money as long as it hits on cylinders 1 and/​or 2.
The more of these cylinders you’re firing on as a restaurant, the better things will be. I walked in and saw nothing I wanted to eat on the menu. I drank my dinner instead and had two of their tiny but delicious popovers. Oh, and the fabulous M gave me a bite of his tempura sweetbread, which again, was quite tasty, but about one-​fourth the amount of food you would want to have at a normal meal. The portions were so small it shocked me that this table of men didn’t immediately grab street food from the Midsommarfest going on right outside the doors on Clark Street. I should have done that or I would have felt better yesterday.
I do like to end on a good note. The cocktails were fine, intensely flavored and strong. I enjoyed a Hemingway (a very fresh, tart grapefruit daiquiri) as well as a topnotch Sidecar. Upstairs at Premise appears to be the in spot, as people in shiny clothes kept funneling up the stairs, while the first-​floor dining room was nearly dead at 9:30 on a warm Friday night. So go there for cocktails if you must, but please, do yourself a favor and stay away from the food.

This place will not last. Way overpriced ($ 19 for falafel!!), too fussy & precious. Menu very limited. Service was very good. Wines & cocktails good.
I have no idea what IFC owners are thinking. The old place was great neighborhood restaurant and wine bar. Shame really. Won’t be back.

Worst meal I’ve ever had in my life, and this includes the time I was at a Jamaican resort and they made a mole sauce with chocolate syrup. Just sayin’.
Hubs and I decided to go on a whim, after our plans had fallen through in A-​ville that night. It was a little weird that the Host came out while some people were looking at the menu and hustling like it was a Vegas strip club. Also weird that they were empty on a Friday evening at 8 pm (there were about four tables at the time we were there, including us). But, whatever– we were up for an adventure and excited to try a new place!
We walked in and were quickly seated and given a menu. Décor and another host (different from the salesman) were pretentious and gave us a bit of a snotty look for carrying a backpack. A little annoying, but we quickly got over it and looked through the menu. Hubs chose the lamb, I decided upon the smoked salmon. Unfortunately we couldn’t tell anyone for fifteen minutes. I assure you, we didn’t require that long to check our menu, and set our menus aside and looked at the staff in hopes that someone would stop by. Right as I suggested that we go somewhere that wanted to take our order, they finally arrived.

During the time we were waiting to order, I perused the drink menu. Here’s the only comparison I’ll make to it’s predecessor, In Fine Spirits. Premise was supposed to have the same quality cocktails that IFS was known for (they advertised this), and I saw none of that. They looked boring. The wine list was pathetic.
The food arrived, and the presentation was the only good thing about it. My salmon was supposed to have a cauliflower purée, which was more of a foam. If you can imagine cauliflower and foam, it’s exactly as disgusting as it sounds. The salmon was not smoked, and was a bland, tasteless piece of fish. The lamb dish my husband ordered was worse than a cafeteria meat. The flavor profiles of both meals were disjointed both in flavor and texture. Bottom line– it was inedible.
To be fair, we didn’t send back the food or explain our unhappiness. However, given the service we had before receiving our food, it didn’t seem worth the effort. We quickly paid and went down the street to another restaurant, laughing and in disbelief at the sheer audacity of the situation.
This place wants to be high-​end, which I get. Here’s what I don’t get: if you want to be that way, then why doesn’t your service show it? They didn’t know how to properly serve a table, pour a beer, place the silverware, etc. For plates that cost the level that Unilocal advertises ($$$$), I expect a better delivery.

I came here for the first time (since it reopened as Premise) recently for a friend’s birthday party. I can’t really comment on the restaurant downstairs, since we were only there for drinks in the upstairs lounge. The atmosphere upstairs is suitably lounge-​like, but I think the food and drinks are a bit lacking. I ordered three different gin cocktails (two off-​menu and one that was on the menu) and all of them were ok, but nothing special. For a place that specializes in cocktails, I expect them to be great, not just passable. Also, I don’t drink wine, but several people in our group did. I think they were shocked to discover that there is only one white wine available upstairs. That seems pretty limited.
In addition, the bar bites menu is tiny. They aren’t joking when they say «bites.» We ordered everything on the menu except the pretzels. The beer nuts were good, the preserved eggplant was superb, the cheese and charcuterie plate was good also. We got the pickled eggs, but I didn’t try them. I didn’t have a problem with any of the food, but it would be nice if there was a bit more to choose from. The service was excellent.
This place isn’t bad, but it’s not great. In Fine Spirits was better overall. I’m not really sure what the impetus was to change it. I would probably come back here, but maybe just for one drink.

I was enticed by two peeps to check this place out as they knew one of the servers.
Walked in and it looked very familiar as it was the old In Fine Spirits joint. Very intimate setting with dim lights and comfy seating.
Scott the server was nothing short of a gentleman as he definitely took good care of us. He started me out with a pretty good drink, The Aviator which includes gin, lemon, luxardo maraschino & crème de violette and tehn a Sidecar which includes señor lustau solera-​style brandy, lemon & combier.
We decided since it was three of us it would be a good idea to order a few different dishes for sharing.
We went with the following:
Fluke tartare — I enjoyed the hell out of this
Tempura sweetbreads — pretty good
Fava agnolotti — good stuff… love the ham
Spring lamb — delicious! Greek yougurt included… yum
Striped bass — star of the show!
After dinner we decided to go upstairs to the more loungy area. More plush, comfy seating. Two bottles of bubbly, a bottle of sauvignon blanc and a broken glass later a good time ensued. Check this place out for brunch, dinner or just drinks in the upstairs lounge!

The sazeracs are great, but the physical setup of the place is wrong. I don’t like the upstairs bar with the weirdly huge couch and the little tables. Bar bites are not available downstairs which is weird. And then when you hoof it up all those stairs, you get a very limited cocktail and bites menu. The foie gras stuffed pretzels were bland and they changed the recipe for the pickled eggs and those are also not as great. The upstairs bar is also uncomfortable because when it’s half full, it seems like you can hear everyone else’s conversations.
Premise has gone awry. It’s trying too hard.

Today was the first brunch at Premise. Talk about a great Bloody Mary, the only thing missing was a Spots Prawn as garnish, but I’m picky that way, forget the stalk of celery, give me a caper berry (the second Bloody Mary did!).
I’m of the school which believes brunch should not be an endless buffet table with a hundred or so offerings; it’s about good company, a glass of champagne (because nobody drinks nearly enough of that) and a few carefully selected plates. That’s exactly what Premise offers. The French eggs are not to be missed, and the biscuits and sweetbreads gravy with coddled egg, yummy. If you think the offering of the seasonal scone is too pedestrian think again. Today’s was black currant with fresh honey comb and crème fraîche gelato, each element coming together miraculously on the fork. Chef Runge really should sell these by the sackful for a little late Sunday afternoon snack before you get down to your serious cock-​tailing.
Seriously, check this place out, because when the weather becomes balmy and breezy and the outdoor patio open a seat will be hard to come by.

A group of us went to Premise and we were all very happy with the experience. It was just amazing. While it was more expensive than the previous In Fine Spirits, it was worth every penny. It seems they have turned the casual wine bar into an upscale dining experience and I would have to say that it’s about time Andersonville has such a destination. The décor was tasteful and understated. The music was a nice jazz that played at a nice level in the background without being overpowering.
We did the tasting menu and were presented with plate after plate of wonderful pairings. We opted for the wine pairings and were quite impressed by the sommelier and his explanations of not just how the wine tastes, but why he had paired them with each dish and how they react and what we could expect as the flavors intermingled. My two favorites from the tasting menu were the wagyu beef and the salmon.
After dinner, we went upstairs to the lounge and were equally impressed. The upstairs offers a dimly lit lounge with group areas if you feel like being social and cozy private areas if you don’t.
As for a couple of the reviews I read below, I would like to say that my group and I were not especially dressed well, yet we received absolutely no attitude from the staff. In fact, quite the opposite. From the hostess to the server to the upstairs bartender, everyone I encountered was smiling and pleasant. I’ll definitely be back!

This was a spur-​of-​the-​moment visit because we rarely dine at recently opened restaurants, but it was late (9:45 p.m.) and we were hungry, so we took a chance and were very glad we did.
Premise may be a little pricey for the neighborhood, but I truly believe the service, food and technique warrant the expense. This is one of the first restaurants in I don’t know how long where my boyfriend and I didn’t amuse ourselves by counting service missteps — they really take care of you here.
We shared a sous-​vide mackerel appetizer with diced green beans and tangerines. This was a perfect follow-​up to the sorrel soup with crab amuse-​bouche (yes, an amuse-​bouche in Andersonville!). We then had striped bass with guanciale, broccoli rabe, fregola, and (freeze-​dried?) oregano blossoms, as well as the spring lamb with baby zucchini, Greek yogurt and what seemed to be a sesame-​based sauce. Everything was delicious, perfectly cooked and paired great with the bottle of rose we ordered.
Dessert was chocolate torte with ancho crumble, horchata custard, chorizo espuma and cinnamon ice cream — such a fun dish that balanced fruitiness and spiciness. So much better than the boring chocolate desserts so many restaurants serve.
Premise seems to be on track to be a great special-​occasion restaurant in the neighborhood.

[ UPDATE: And… they’re closed. As predicted. ]
Apparently the «premise» is pretense.
I was an occasional diner at In Fine Spirits; they had a decent, small menu, a great patio, good bartenders and booze selection, and reasonable prices.
So I had high hopes for Premise, and was excited to give them a try after seeing the intriguing menu in the window. We dined there Friday night. Unfortunately, the experience was disappointing, and ultimately I left feeling a bit angry and somewhat ripped off.
The food is all served in very small portions, on comically large plates. I mean *very* small. It’s way, way overpriced (starter + entrée + a glass of wine = $ 65, pre-​tip). We also received bread (a small roll with some seasoned butter) and an amuse (an under-​seasoned, flavorless crab soup type thing). The starters weren’t awful (the compressed melon was nice), but they were very small (notice a trend?), and really not anything spectacular.
Major disappointment: The Wagyu beef entrée, which was flavorful, but so tough that it either 1) wasn’t really Wagyu beef, or 2) was completely ruined in preparation. My dining companion and I both had the same tough beef, so it wasn’t an anomaly. Again, the portion was laughably small; approx. eight or so 1″ square slices of beef along with dime sized squirts of a couple sauces and a few halved carrots. Seriously. I am not making this up.
Hey Premise: You’re not Alinea.
The dining room atmosphere was nice, and the drinks very good (but very expensive). One potential bright spot is the lounge upstairs; it’s a cozy space, but they’ll have to reduce their prices if they want to make it work long term. Not many people in Andersonville are going to pay those prices more than once.
We won’t be rushing back anytime soon. They’ll need to make some serious adjustments to prices, portion size, and food quality if they want to succeed. If not, you can expect this place to close very soon. Which is sad.

Imagine my surprise when I walked past Premise, looking for In FIne Spirits lounge, thinking I had missed it. After talking up the place to my best friend of over 40 years, I was a disappointed to see it gone! I’m not a fan of Hamburger Mary’s and we didn’t really want to wander all the way down to Lady G’s, so we decided to give Premise a try. As we waited for one of the hostess to come back downstairs (to let us know if there were seat available in the «salon»), a party of 3 comes in. One girl said she had called short while ago and reserved seats at the bar. What? Who takes reservations for a barstool? That should have been our clue to high tail it out of there.
The hostess came back down and said there were seats available. We were seated on a sofa, across from another couple. No big deal. Hoping they would still have the extensive wine menu, I perused the one page, one sided drink/​app/​dessert menu. All of the wines (6 of them) were from France. There were 4 – 5 beers and about 6 – 7 cocktails, all of which had to be explained by the ONE waitress provided on the floor. All except one were super heavy on the booze. I ended up having a beer, as none of the wine or drink selections jumped out at me.
Note to management… schedule a second waitress and bartender for the 2^nd floor lounge on Saturday night.
I get that the owners wanted to add more food to the menu, but why, oh why did you whittle down the wine list to just a handful? It’s clear that Premise is trying to copy the same snooty atmosphere as the The Violet Hour, but Andersonville isn’t that kind of neighborhood. In Fine Spirits lounge was a great place to hang out, chat with friends and enjoy a few glasses of quality wine or a funky cocktail and a nice appetizer. With Premise being a full service restaurant, that’s no longer the case. Charlie’s Ale House was the same way (grab a burger, wings and a beer), until the owners decided to re-​style it into Acre.
Occasionally, I just want to enjoy a good glass of wine… nothing more, nothing less. Another establishment falls victim to the idea that pretentious is cool. I guess I have to find a new place in Andersonville to while away a lazy afternoon.

Premise opened 2 days ago and we wandered in last night for drinks at the upstairs lounge.
Please note, I did not eat any of the food downstairs (though the menu looked good we had already eaten at Acre) we each had a cocktail (price about 10 dollars for a well constructed cocktail) They were fairly impressive and unique– different flavors than I am I used to from my Wicker Park/​Logan Square cocktail drinking days.
The atmosphere? It was actually nice. I assume it used to be an apartment and they knocked out all the walls. The couches were simple with small tables in between them, the lighting was dim, the jazz was tasteful, the service was polite. They chatted away with the other patrons but seemed to realize we were there for a more private conversation.
Anyway, I fully expect this is the only time I’ll ever easily get a table at Premise as it is sure to catch on.