Western Oregon Journal

Issue date: 1/20/10 Section: Restaurant

Seniors Shannon Carey and Misty Connor enjoy their Friday evening with a personalized wine tasting flight at CRUSH.

Holding a bottle of '06 Left Coast Pinot Gris, Joanna Brandt deftly pours the clear liquid into three glasses. "This is heaven in a bottle," she tells the young trio clustered around one of the new wine bar's tall tables.
At 8 p.m. on Friday night, conversations and laughter already filtered throughout the room. A gas fire glowed at the far end, surround by plush black leather chairs and a couch, beckoning customers to sink into the ample cushions. As an added bonus, sports fans can follow the Blazers' game on a big screen, continued by the regular evening offerings from ESPN-the muted play and closed caption subtitles providing entertainment without disturbing the environment's creative ambiance. Along the shiny wood surface of the bar, the nine black-padded bar stools still sat empty, but not for long.
Scarcely a week old, Crush Wine Bar and Tasting Room has received overwhelming support from the Monmouth community, according to Brandt, co-owner of the establishment.
"Monmouth's been waiting for something like this for a long time," she said.
Western students Shannon Carey and Misty Connor, both seniors, were among the early evening's first customers. Sharing a table with their high school friend Stuart Shepard, a graduate of WSU Tri-Cities, the threesome praised their experience with Crush.
"It's really cute," Carey said. "I really like the bar."
Connor also mentioned the classy decorations and arrangements: "It's very Joanna."
Creating the Look

Curled blond hair sweeping her shoulders, a smile welcoming patrons and a row of sparkling beads dancing down the front of her black dress, Brandt said the girls, both of whom she coached cheerleading for at Central High School in Independence, used to tease her because she always matched.
"In the design world, I've always been considered a classic casual," she said. Her description reflects itself in the soft green paint adorning the walls, the design on the lights hanging above the bar and cresting the ceiling and the aura which would lend itself to a couple dressed up for date nights or to someone in sweats stopping by after a workout at Monmouth Fitness. "It's fancy enough, but it's not intimidating," Brandt said.

Continued...

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