Grand Gesture

A Belvedere Square bar and bottle shop shop gets back to its roots.

- Jess Mayhugh

WHEN SPIKE GJERDE'S FOODSHED restaurant group took over Grand Cru in 2014, there were certainly big shoes to fill. Not only had the Belvedere Square wine bar been there for more than a decade, but the sudden death of its beloved owner, Nelson Carey, shocked the community.

Gjerde and partners Corey Polyoka and John “JC” Unitas III decided to change some things to be on brand with their other restaurants, including nixing some of the signature food items, replacing a chalkboard wall with subway tiles, renovating the bar, and reconfiguring the wine shop. In true Baltimore style, some patrons objected to the menu omissions or shiny new details.