Postino WineCafe wants its customers to feel at home — whatever the occasion.

The all-day neighborhood restaurant and wine café opens tomorrow at The Bowl at Ballantyne.

The 5,213-square-foot, 198-seat space is the brand’s first location in the Charlotte market — and is one of co-founder Lauren Bailey’s favorite locations so far.

She’s already eying additional sites in the Charlotte market. Postino is working with Jackson Hughes, at The Navigator Group, to identify locations.

“We love this market,” she says. “We love to be part of the community and be that place.”

Postino fits in the gap between utilitarian, fast-casual service and fine dining. It’s a place for first dates, women’s happy hours, lunches and celebrations. Guests are encouraged to linger over a glass of wine, or share a bite to eat.

“It’s kind of design your own experience,” Bailey says. “We can do all of that for you in one space.”

Postino offers an ever-changing selection of boutique wines that are handpicked by Brent Karlicek, vice president of beverage and advanced sommelier. That includes more than 30 varietals by the glass, with 15 proprietal labels. It works with high-end winemakers to track production seasons and bring things into the fold.

Postino offers 30-plus wines by the glass for $6, seven days a week, until 5 p.m. It adopts European culture, where drinking wine at lunch is not a crime, Bailey says.

Most of the menu is shareable. The scratch-made kitchen imports high-end products from Italy, France, Spain and Greece.

“We want these really high-quality ingredients to stand for themselves,” she says. Think dishes such as the signature bruschetta. Diners can pick their favorite toppings, such as brie and apple with fig spread; smoked salmon with pesto; or sweet n’ spicy pepper jam. Other boards feature Greek hummus, cheeses and charcuterie…

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