Kris Wessel is known in Miami for his über-local cuisine made personal by his family's long relationship with Miami and its terra.
In fact, Wessel's new restaurant, Oolite, is named after the very foundation our city is built upon.
But, though born in Miami, Wessel was raised in New Orleans, a city known for its live music and art scene. Living in New Orleans during his formative years must have surely rubbed off on the Miami chef, because he just announced his latest endeavor -- and it's music-based.
See also: Kris Wessel's Oolite Opens in South Beach (Photos)
Wessel, along with Jeff Vaughan (a local Miami restaurant and nightclub designer for the past 20 years) and Oolite partner Roman Cherstvov, will open A.I.R. (Artist in Residence), next door to Oolite.
The art-music bar is named A.I.R. as an ode to New York City artists in the '70s and '80s who lived in their studios and loft spaces, using A.I.R. as a demarcation to let the world know they were "artists in residence."
The 2,000-square-foot space will have a separate street entrance from Oolite, adjacent to Lincoln Road and will serve a completely different food menu, under chef Wessel's direction. At this time, the menu is still being completed.
A.I.R. will open August 1 and will be open Thursday through Saturday starting at 7 p.m. with a daily program of live music and a rotating artist series. In September, A.I.R. will start a full-week program.
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