Dine out with your own wine in future?

PLAINFIELD -- Wine lovers soon may be able to bring along their favorite bottle when they head out for a meal.

The village has a new liquor license on the books that, if granted to a local restaurant, would permit patrons to bring their own wine to drink with dinner.

The new Class P license would only be available to sit-down restaurants that do not have bars or other liquor licenses.

It would limit patrons to bringing one bottle of wine per visit, still with its original seal. The bottle must be given to a restaurant employee upon arrival and the employee would open it once the patrons were seated.

The Class P license hours are from noon to 10 p.m. Patrons will be able to take unfinished bottles home, as long as restaurant staff seal the bottles before they leave.

The new license classification was prompted by a request from restaurateur Robin Ambrosia, who recently opened Bella Bistro on Lockport Street.

"What I would like to do is just give people the opportunity to buy a bottle of their favorite wine and come over and have dinner," Ambrosia said. "It's not someplace you go, 'OK let's go have a drink at Bella Bistro.' But it will open up that opportunity for people to enjoy a bottle of wine."

Ambrosia said she is working on developing future special offers with Wine and Cheese by TCC, a wine shop also on Lockport Street.

Bella Bistro, 24047 W. Lockport St., opens at 6:30 a.m. Mondays through Saturdays. The restaurant closes at 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and 4 p.m. every other day.

Outdoor dining
Besides this new opportunity, downtown businesses will have new alfresco options this year.
Starting April 1, the owners of businesses in the downtown district may purchase a $100 one-year permit for outdoor use of the sidewalk.

The permit would be valid during seasonal weather, or approximately from April 1 through Nov. 30, and would allow outdoor dining, art instruction, floral displays and similar uses.