Sparrow, a wine bar and lounge by Good Salt Restaurant Group’s Jason and Sue Chin, takes flight this fall

Jason and Sue Chin all but built Baldwin Park’s restaurant scene into the worthy destination it is today with Seito Sushi and the Osprey. Now they’re doing the same in downtown Orlando’s North Quarter.

Or is it NoDo?

No matter. The urban neighborhood’s anchor restaurant, Reyes Mezcaleria, has been a shining outpost of the Chins’ Good Salt Restaurant Group thanks to executive chef/partner Wendy Lopez’s outstanding regional Mexican dishes. And, come this fall, Lopez will take charge of the Chins’ latest concept.

Sparrow, a 1,978-square-foot wine bar and lounge, will be located about 100 feet away from Reyes Mezcaleria at 807 N. Orange Ave and will present a focused menu drawing on Lopez’s heritage (her great grandfather, “Papa Chema,” was Spanish). But flavors and techniques from Portugal, Italy and France will also pepper the bill of fare with continental classics like tortilla Española, patatas bravas, jamón ibérico and conservas served alongside bacalhau croquetas, cacio e pepe and prawn de bourgogne.

“A Spanish restaurant has always been a plan of ours,” says Lopez, though she readily admits that it was going to be a Spanish steakhouse in a much larger space. But when an opportunity presented itself after La Femme Du Fromage aborted plans to open a cheese shop where the Daily Grind Coffee House and Pearson’s Cafe once stood, the trio felt a Spanish wine bar with an eclectic tapas menu would be an ideal fit for the small space.

Indeed, the 80-seat restaurant (68 inside, 12 on the patio) designed by Sue Chin will be full of intimate nooks and will incorporate walnut finishes and checkerboard floors.

“We are also going to lower the ceilings to create an even more intimate feel,” Chin says.

A lounge area will house a six-person bar where bottles of Old World and New World wines curated by Good Salt Restaurant Group beverage director Lorena Castro will flow. Classic cocktails and fine spirits will also be offered.

So why the name Sparrow? “It’s cute,” says Chin. “Plus the birds are small and dynamic, just like this wine bar will be.”

Follow the flight of the Sparrow @sparroworl or on the web at sparroworlando.com.

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This article appears in May 29 – Jun 4, 2024.