Stars Is a New Wine Bar From the Claud and Penny Team

What is a “wine bar”? At this point, the term is, at best, up for debate and, at worst, totally arbitrary, essentially an easier way to say “casual restaurant that does serve wine.” Stars, a new East Village project from partners Chase Sinzer and Joshua Pinsky that will open its doors next week, is a wine bar — and very much an effort on the partners’ part to redefine a description that has, of late, started to feel a little vague.

“​​Every decision we made about this place traces back to what we think the narrative of a wine bar is,” Sinzer says. “To me, a wine bar has a rail. It doesn’t take reservations,” he explains. “You walk in the door, and we lean over the bar and let you know how long it’s going to be for a seat, and then ask you what you want to drink.”

Before opening Claud together in 2022 and its follow-up Penny last year, Sinzer and Pinsky met while working at Momofuku Ko where the wine list was heralded for its depth and relative affordability, and that sensibility informs the 1,000-bottle-long list at Stars, too. The menu, overseen by wine director Julia Schwartz, opens with a selection of 88 bottles all priced under $88, a showcase for high-value, underdog picks from Spain, Germany, and Italy (such as Grenache from El Mas de L’A, a sparkling wine from Massimo Coletti, and a Spätburgunder from Moritz Kissinger). The rest of the list, yes, does include ball-out bottles from harder-to-find producers in Burgundy, Barolo, Champagne, and beyond, as well as plenty of mid-range offerings, but Sinzer says it is, above all, designed to make guests say, “Wow, I can’t believe they got that bottle for that price.”

By-the-glass offerings take a similar tact: A rotating cast of more than 20 options is offered at prices ranging from $11 to $19. Sinzer says that the list’s commitment to approachability is an homage to when he worked at Union Square Hospitality Group’s (soon to reopen) Maialino 15 years ago, where the list always had to have a glass of something for under $9.

Sinzer wants Stars to be flexible. He wants it to be “the first place people think about” if they’re looking for a spot in the neighborhood where they can wait for a table elsewhere, but he’s clear that Stars is meant to stand on its own. “You could stop in for 20 minutes and have a snack and a $12 glass of wine,” he says. “Or you could spend the whole night.”

Deviled eggs with pommes soufflées.
Photo: Andrew Bui

The whole space is just 450 square feet but designed to make everyone feel welcome. Matte burgundy marble tile envelops the room in a warm, amber glow that’s accentuated by a surprisingly convincing faux skylight constructed from LED lights and draped fabric. There’s room for 12 around a U-shaped zinc bar, which was hand-finished in zinc, with standing room for seven or eight at the rail by the door. Seating is all at counter height to avoid dividing up the space into “seated” and “standing” sections.

There are things to drink besides wine — sake options, a handful of spirit-free drinks — and a small menu of snacks — deviled eggs with pommes soufflées, cured chorizo alongside marinated vegetables, and a griddled shrimp toast — that is meant to serve mostly as punctuation in between pours. The emphasis at this wine bar really is the wine: “I think there’s a narrative out there that people aren’t buying wine, and I’m just telling you with tons of humility, as someone who’s built his career on wine, everybody’s drinking in our restaurants,” Sinzer says. “It’s not just the captains of industry. They’re there for sure, and we love them. But some people are like, ‘Can I have the coolest bottle of $78 wine with age?’ Here, we can do both.”