Since opening in March, GlassHalfFull has been a big draw. Photos by Kirk Ross
By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer
If you’ve driven past the old Trading Post building on South Greensboro Street lately, you might notice that the resident antique shop is now somewhat smaller. What might draw you in, however, is the latest addition to Carrboro’s restaurant scene, now filling the building’s extra space.
GlassHalfFull, which opened in March, brings a little something different to the area, offering a tapas-style menu of small plates to complement the restaurant’s eclectic wine list.
Restaurant co-owners Mickey Maloney and Jim Wald started GlassHalfFull after years in the wine business as owners of Sante Wine Distributors in Durham. Their original idea, however, wasn’t to start a restaurant, but rather a small wine shop.
“There was an absence of independent wine shops in the Triangle,†Maloney said.
After a bit of research, they learned the license for a wine shop was the same as that needed for a wine bar. Maloney and Wald wanted to serve food with the wines, thought small plates were appropriate, and GlassHalfFull was born.
Upon entering GlassHalfFull, the eye is immediately drawn to the polished, horseshoe-shaped bar. Large wooden tables surround the bar and small booths line the walls. Customers can people-watch through the large glass front, which faces South Greensboro Street and the Open Eye Café.
The décor is simple, with a few paintings dotting the exposed brick walls and orchids scattered throughout the restaurant.
Maloney said they chose to focus on Mediterranean cuisine to complement French, Spanish and Italian wines. Tapas-style dining, he said, “is a way we think people enjoy eating these days.”
The menu, which Maloney says will change frequently, offers plates ranging from $3 for pommes frites with truffle oil and parsley to $14 for petite filet mignon with roasted shallot butter.
“We’re hoping to take advantage of seasonal products,†he said, adding that they’re using local organic ingredients.
The offerings in the shop will grow to 500 wines.
The owners found Chef Rob Piccirilli at Aqua Restaurant in Beaufort and convinced him to join them in their venture. Among Piccirilli’s creations are Moroccan lamb and beef sausage, zucchini and onion latke with sunny-side-up egg and grilled marinated chicken with tsatsiki sauce and couscous salad.
Not to be overlooked, the restaurant’s moderately priced wine list offers about 20 wines by the bottle or in three- or five-ounce pours. For an $8 corkage fee, customers can choose a bottle from GlassHalfFull’s wine shop, which eventually will offer some 500 wines.
“We want to encourage people to go beyond the wine list,†Maloney said, adding that they tried to find “good value†wines, from small, artisanal producers.
Like the menu, the wine list will change seasonally. For non-wine drinkers, GlassHalfFull also has several rotating beers on tap, as well as a full bar.
Maloney said the restaurant is already gaining regulars, and he hopes GlassHalfFull will become a neighborhood mainstay.
“We think we found a niche that appeals to people,†he said.
GlassHalfFull is located at 106 S. Greensboro St. and is open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m., with the bar open until around midnight.