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Last month, LeeAnn Zubay and staff packed up their Culinary Market shop next to 300 First and moved it into the former Avocados Bistro spot at Apache Shoppes on 16th Street Southwest, renaming it Zzest Wine Cafe. The move doubled their square footage - and it's already filled to the brim. They anticipated opening their new wine café today, and I got a little preview earlier this week.

The ambiance - market fresh

First, the shop itself feels warm and appetizing. You can order your meal and then carry a glass of wine through the shop as you browse, nibbling on samples and dreaming of your next dinner party. The open kitchen hugged by wraparound seating was retained from Avocados, and a small area of tables, chairs and barstool seating makes for a cozy, inviting feel.

The idea of the cafe is just an extension of the one-of-a-kind ingredients stocked in the market. "Everything from the market will come over to the café," Zubay says. "It'll be prepared in a simple way, and then you can pick up the ingredients to make the same thing at home - and I'll tell you exactly how to do it."

The menu

The café menu is a collaborative effort between Zubay and Eric Pater, who is coming over to Zzest from City Cafe. And like the ingredients stocked in the market, the menu will be changing constantly.

"Some of these cheeses come from very small farms, where they make three wheels a year. We get one of them, and when it's gone, it's gone," Zubay says. The menu will include at least three cheese plates, a charcuterie plate including items like cerrano ham, salami and pate, and soups and sandwiches.

The shop and cafe is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, so they'll offer a couple dinner entrees in the evenings as well. "Those are a little more detailed" in their presentation, Zubay says, using ingredients like truffle butter sauce, fresh fish and other proteins.

Notable influences

Throughout the market and the café, look for signs of the Creative Cuisine Company family: I'm told that Hillary Evans, the manager over at Pi who was trained in Florence, Italy, is planning to start making pasta to sell at Zzest. Soon, look for Pi's mozzarella (made fresh daily) to make an appearance both in the market and café. Likewise, Zzest will get some of its fresh fish from City Cafe.

I think the new wine café at Zzest is a great extension of the CCC restaurants. It's like having your very own test kitchen - and getting to have more than just a sample taste - and then getting the secret ingredients from the chef to recreate the taste at home. Even though some of the ingredients sound intimidating to those of us who aren't exactly foodies, just walk in. You'll feel at home, and Zubay will make you feel like you can make anything.

Kimberly Van Brunt is a Rochester freelance writer. Quick Bites runs every Friday in Life/After Dark. Send restaurant news and tips to her at life@postbulletin.com. To read more about good eats in the area, go to PostBulletin.com and click on the Great Taste blog. Next week: Some holiday specials at area restaurants.