Fondue anyone?

The long-awaited Corktown restaurant Alpino has opened on the corner of Bagley and Trumbull. The 3,200 square-foot wine-inspired regional restaurant seats 80 in the dining room, 10 at the bar and 50 on their private 1,500 square foot patio. Guests can expect lively dinner service seven nights a week along with ‘Fondue Sunday’ from noon until 8 p.m. In true mountain form, Alpino will occasionally host live music rooted in blues, bluegrass and Americana. Alpino is founded and operated by Detroit native and New York hospitality veteran, David Richter. The kitchen is helmed by Chef Colin Campbell, with Andre Sykes overseeing the beverage program highlighted by a regional-specific cocktail and wine list.  “The premise of Alpino is rooted in heritage and tradition surrounded by a community. The team at Alpino aims to cultivate a communal atmosphere centered around high-quality food, made simply, paired with excellent wine, music and hospitable service,” says Richter. The restaurant’s menu is inspired by ingredients sourced from hills, fields, rivers and streams be it fresh, farmed or preserved. The lineup weaves together traditional dishes from countries along the Alpine Mountains in Europe, including Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. The menu is offered up as cheese, cured meat, vegetables, pasta/rice/grains, meat/fish, sides and sweets. Stand-out dishes include: tarte flambée with rye dough, crème fraiche, fontina dop and lardon; croziflette “Alpino mac & cheese” with house-made buckwheat pasta, taleggio, and lardons; and Alpine char featuring thuringer sausage, roasted onion broth, root vegetables, sauerkraut and wilted greens. Alpino’s beverage program features a unique list of lesser-known and affordable European wines by the glass, on tap and by the bottle. The curated cocktail list reflects the seasons and compliments the European style beer list on tap and bottle. The restaurant’s design is inspired by European countryside farmhouses incorporating natural materials in a simplistic, communal manner. A stone fireplace is the focal point of the main dining room complemented by warm wood tones, one hundred-year-old cypress beams, rustic light fixtures and warm soft seating touches. The patio space includes teak tables, soft loveseat benches and a bandshell for live music. 1426 Bagley, Detroit alpinodetroit.com