At Windjammer , success is due to the balance of the new and the familiar, the innovative and the traditional. The owners, managers, and chefs make sure the restaurant caters to its regular customers, who love it for what it is, while still thinking of ways to modernize and draw in new people.

The downstairs area seats about 300 people. While it leans more toward higher-end steak and seafood, over the past few years the chefs have been trying to focus on local and seasonal fare. 

The upstairs area has an entirely different, much more casual vibe. The Upper Deck, as it’s known, fits 125 people into a sports bar or pub-style venue, offering things like wings and burgers.

Now, the owners are trying something new, an expanded wine bar. “It was a vision we had for many years,” Dan explained. “But we were never able to pull the trigger because we were always so busy.”

Dan explained that a normal bottle of wine is only fresh for maybe two days after you open it. The Cruvinet system extends that lifespan from days to weeks. That way, The Windjammer can open finer bottles of wine for glass pours without fearing some would go to waste.

The Cruvinet system measures out pours by the ounces, so guests can choose from one-, three-, or six- ounce pours without the necessity of committing to an entire glass.

Though the new boat-shaped bar is special, like every other aspect of The Windjammer, the customer has choices. Although the seating is centered around the Cruvinet system, The Lower Deck is also a full-service bar where you can order anything from the entire wine list, along with beer or cocktails and food. Likewise, you can order glasses of wine from the Cruvinet system even if you aren’t sitting at the new bar.

 

The Windjammer is already hosting wine tastings and tap takeovers at The Lower Deck. There’s no fee to attend, and visitors are under no obligation to purchase any of the wines offered; all you need is a reservation for The Lower Deck on the night of the event. The restaurant hopes to do more of this moving forward and already has some wine tastings and wine dinners planned for 2024. Eventually, the restaurant would like to co-sponsor events with breweries and distilleries.

To see when those events will be held, check out The Windjammer on social media. And since the wines rotate on a near-daily basis, Dan recommends calling ahead to see what's on offer. Although walk-ins are welcome, reservations for The Lower Deck can also be made in advance.