Swirl Wine Bar Hopes to Mix Up Solon Nightlife Scene

About five years ago, Richard Alaimo was in California at a unique restaurant and wine bar that featured a bocce court.

He thought it was a great idea. After years of mulling the idea, Alaimo and two partners purchased a historic building at 33325 Bainbridge Road in downtown Solon, where they plan to open the Swirl Wine Bar in June. The other partners are Tom Steinbauer and Frank Bonsignore.

Swirl, which recently received all of its zoning variances from city council, will open in a remodeled historic building. Alaimo, who owns Crossroad Homes, is doing much of the work himself restoring the building. Much of the wood inside, which dates back to the 1850s, is being restored and reused.

"You want to keep as much of the history as you can," Alaimo said.

Swirl will feature a bar area, a more intimate dining room, an outdoor patio and one bocce court. There will be a small retail area for selling wines, but that won't be a major part of the business, Alaimo said.

The concept of Swirl is to offer an upscale experience with affordable prices. The bar will feature wines from all over the world, but they will be reasonably priced, Alaimo said.

"You don't have to spend $15 or $20 on a good glass of wine," he said.

He said Swirl will have an on-staff wine expert and all the waitstaff will be well versed in wine.

Besides wine, the bar will offer specialty beers and mixed drinks. The menu will feature "small plate" items such as cheese and fruit plates, salads and smaller specialty pizzas.

"It won't be a huge menu, but a very fine menu featuring some unique things," Alaimo said.

Swirl will offer weekly wine tastings along with a more elaborate monthly event featuring dinner paired with wines. They will also be available to host events and business meetings.

Alaimo, who was a Solon resident for nearly 30 years before moving just outside its borders, said he believes Solon is looking for unique places, and Swirl fits that bill.

"I think Solon is a great location for a wine bar," Alaimo said. "There's nothing like it in Solon, and there's lots of wine lovers out there."

Alaimo said he believe the wine bar business is on the cusp of exploding in popularity, much like the rapid growth of coffee shops about 15 years ago.

He also believes Solon's historic downtown is ripe for development as a quaint, walking area filled with boutiques and unique restaurants. He said the fact that Swirl is opening, coupled with the recent opening of Harvest Kitchen down the street, shows that momentum might be there.