With the usual experience of dining out seeming all but a distant memory for most Americans, newly opened ventures have had to think fast on their feet while adjusting to the changing landscape. Taub Family Outpost, a three-pronged hospitality enterprise that opened its doors last month in Sonoma, California, had initially hoped to welcome guests into either its stylish lounge, cocktail bar or café, all housed within an exquisitely redesigned 1910 Spanish Colonial-style bank building, which has been carved into separate areas.
Designed by the New York and Oakland-based firm, Studio Becky Carter, the downtown space opens with an airy café and bottle shop, known as The Market, that harks back to the churches and haciendas of California’s Mission style with zillege tiling, mottled plaster walls and iron accents. The café’s wine bar nods to casita fireplaces with its arched details and decorative niches. Instead of staying in, visitors can now peruse and shop its selection of gourmet sundries and fine wine originating from all over the world. A vast assortment of local wines, menu of seasonal Californian fare and a to-go cocktail list is also available for takeout.
When service can be resumed on-site, visitors will be able to kick back in the space’s upstairs lounge, The Outpost, which combines ocean blue Craftsman-style wainscoting with custom-designed coffee tables by Studio Becky Carter and personalised vintage touches. A discreet hallway leading to a pocket door also leads to The Beacon, a glamorous, speakeasy-style cocktail bar that’s adorned with mural walls, painted by artist Caroline Lizarraga, and a blood red lacquered bar. §
