PJ Seelert

Vessel and Vine, the newest addition to Brunswick’s assortment of small businesses, opened on Thursday on the corner of Maine and Pleasant streets. Part restaurant, part wine bar and part retail store, Vessel and Vine is the brainchild of owner Nikaline Iacono’s culinary and aesthetic sensibilities.

Iacono previously worked as a manager and bartender at Enoteca Athena on Maine Street but has always dreamed of opening her own business in Brunswick.

“There was not an option to do it anywhere else, this is my community and it is an especially supportive community and it has a really eclectic, diverse population and Bowdoin is a big part of that,” she said.

Her dream began to come to life in August, when she started to design a business plan.

The charming and quaint store currently sells items that match its timeless aesthetic. Vibrant red Japanese glasses and gold rimmed tumblers from the 1950s are among the dozens of vintage glassware pieces up for sale.

“It’s my identity, it’s my aesthetic. There is no designer or architect. It’s my place.” said Iacono, describing the eclectic interior of Vessel and Vine.

According to Iacono, Vessel and Vine will soon offer Brunswick a full wine bar and dinner menu by sometime next week.

“I think it is going to be a place that is accessible and not intimidating. A place where people can be exposed to stuff that is very different, unique, and not what they would get at a typical wine bar,” said Iacono.

Iacono hopes Vessel and Vine will become a place where people of all ages can come together, enjoy food and drink in a space that, though new, already has character, charm and personality.

Iacono has a special relationship with wine and hand-selected each of the bottles served by her new business.

“They are wines that have a story, identity and sense of place,” Iacono said.

Vessel and Vine’s food menu will also set it apart from other Brunswick establishments. While most restaurants serve a consistent menu, food at the wine bar will constantly be changing.

“I hope to have a super tight-focused menu with the intent that it changes frequently–whatever I like the most at the moment.” she said.

Like the food, the atmosphere will reflect a combination of the owner’s taste as well as current trends. Nearly everything in the restaurant’s interior, from the tools to the wooden columns, is made from recycled materials.

“There is no other place that looks like this,” she said.