Trademark

[jednc]

Any word on what may occupy the retail spots on the Pine St. side of the building? I just can't believe that they've been sitting there for lease for so long without a bite. I know it's not a high foot-traffic area, but still...

[HopHead]

Does the Press restaurant have a web site anywhere? I tried googling it and didn't find anything...

[sleightofhand]

I see the progress at Press everyday and I agree that it looks as if it could open anyday now. However, I can't say I've seen the first employee inside. I've seen a few folks inside but I'm pretty sure they are executives. I keep waiting to look in and see some chefs testing out the new equipment.

[uptowner]

Press will open next week.... I overheard this yesterday...

[sleightofhand]

I poked my head in the door at Press today at lunch. Well, they had the door open so I walked in.

I'm happy to report tonight they will just serve "wine and stuff" since they just got their permit. Tomorrow they will start serving lunch. There were several employees including chefs there today working getting ready. I asked if they would have a grand openning and was told they would not.

[Miesian Corners]

I poked my head in the door at Press today at lunch. Well, they had the door open so I walked in.

I'm happy to report tonight they will just serve "wine and stuff" since they just got their permit. Tomorrow they will start serving lunch. There were several employees including chefs there today working getting ready. I asked if they would have a grand openning and was told they would not.

[Abe Froman]

Does that mean they'll be open tonight for "wine and stuff", as that sounds like the perfect dinner.

[sleightofhand]

I talked with a few people that went last night and had some wine and appetizers. They said they enjoyed it. I'm going to try and grab lunch there this week.

[Windsurfer]

I talked with a few people that went last night and had some wine and appetizers. They said they enjoyed it. I'm going to try and grab lunch there this week.

[Larryfla]

My girlfriend and I went. We had a very good time meeting up with some neighbors who live in the building. It's going to be a great meeting place for residents of the building. It's friendly and even a little noisy with chatter. The music could've been toned down slightly.

The service was excellent, even on the first night. My girlfriend was a little offended at the sight of the sign that shows two breasts and is titled "Luscious"...referring to wines I guess. She wanted to know where the male counter parts were. She's no prude, but it seemed a little sexist.

[Andyc545]

There is nothing more degrading, discusting, or embarrasing than male nudity. It is just plain nasty. Lets leave nudism exclusively for the beautiful female body. The female body is beautiful and should be flaunted. My beautiful wife is excluded of course.

[Charlotte_native]

I went to Press last night. YIPPEE!!! Delighted to have that place around the corner. You can go spend a lot or a little, the wine selection is amazing, the food was great and priced right. GREAT sushi, really great sushi. We got the smoked salmon app, it was only $8 and there was a pile of salmon -- I was really happy about the whole place. We intended to go for dinner and I guess stay about an hour...we were there for almost 3!

As for the boobs...it is a single color panel with a very artistic take on the outline of breasts. Just above it is the same of a bare booty that you can't tell if it is a guy or girl!

I can't wait to sit outside at this place and hang out...fantastic and just a great new addition to downtown.

[ScottCLT]

My girlfriend and I ate at Press tonight and it is really a refreshing addition to Uptown's dining scene. Everything is reasonably priced to an almost unbelievable extreme.

Wines are prices from $10 and up per bottle. There are some expensive ones, but the majority are under $20. The whole process of selecting a bottle of wine is interactive. There is a "menu" of wines on the wall (where the infamous boobs are) which describe the wines. The boobs are for the "luscious" wines. There are 4 categories of reds and 4 of whites. Once you pick the type of wine you want, you just follow the guides to the rack of wines that are in that category, and pick whatever you want. You bring it back to your table, and they open it and pour it for you. Who'd think that 4 people could sit an have a glass of wine with a total bill of $11.95?

There is also a wide selection of import and micro-brew beer that is priced like you bought it from the grocery store. Corona is $2 -- and that's no special; it's on the permanent menu. You can enjoy a Belgian pilsner for $1.50. Even a Sammy Smith's is a modest $3.75.

The food is limited to pretty much appetizers and sushi. But like everything else, it's cheap. Sushi rolls are $5-$9. And they are very generous on their portions. Even the staple spicy tuna roll comes with a huge hunk of tuna in each piece -- more than I've ever seen at another sushi joint. We enjoyed the Gruyere fondue for $8 -- and it was awesome!

Service was a little slow. The place was busy -- every table full, and there was not enough staff to cope with it. We did end up waiting about a half hour for our appetizer and went with empty beer glasses for 20 minutes or so as we attempted to flag someone down. I'm sure this is just a result of a busy night at a brand new restaurant, and I know it will get better.

In addition to the restaurant, Press is also a deli/market type place in one part of the restaurant. You can grab a bottle of wine at less-than-HT prices, pick up a gourmet bottled tea/soda/water, have a small snack of gourmet chips/crackers/nuts/chocolates, and even grab sushi to go. The sushi to go is pre-packaged but freshly made. You just walk in and grab it and go in a little plastic box (like the sushi at HT). And it's only $5 or $6.

The atmosphere itself is much like that of a hip coffee shop/deli -- I agree with the Dean & Deluca reference mentioned earlier. Cool lighting, comfortable chairs, and there is even a little lounge area with couches and leather chairs.

As for the final bill for the meal -- $34. That's for 2 rolls of sushi, the gruyere fondue, and 4 beers. You won't find that anywhere else uptown. I have a feeling that this place will become an uptown institution once it's around long enough to earn that title. I could also see this as the beginning of a great chain concept for Sonoma Restaurant Group. This concept would work well in Ballantyne, Myer's Park, Lake Norman, and about a million other places across the country. That is, if the actually make enough money to pay the lease with those cheap prices.

[Mobuchu]

^ Well said Scott. A couple of us UPers were there tonight too (the loud group sitting on the couches). The menu is still small, but the waitress said more is coming as they are trying to work the kinks out first. Breakfast may not be for another month. They are also looking at delivering to the residents of Trademark, nice perk!

The antipasta I had was well worth the price, although the bread could have been better. Nice beer selection too with mostly microbrews, I'm beginning to love exploring outside of my usual realm when it comes to beers. Anything with the word pilsner attached, and the one I had tonight was pretty damn good for only a $1.50. (this after having just got back from Germany).

The staff was a little slow, but I'm sure that is just a part of the growing pains. Although I saw Furman was there eating tonight so maybe they were directing too much attention to the boss Looking forward to the outdoor seating as well, they currently dont serve to the outside because of the short staff.

[Appetite for Construction]

^ Thanks to all for the reviews of Press. I agree that the outdoor seating here is a great thing ... the way the building is oriented it won't be in direct sunlight for summer after work happy hours ...

Can't wait to try it out!!!

[QC-NC]

So anyone figure out if the 28th floor penthouse is actually Furman's?

[Appetite for Construction]

Got a chance to check out Press last night and the place lives up to the reviews previously posted.

In case you're not a wine drinker, there is a decent, albeit very short, list of bottled beers available. Sushi I had was very good also ... Best meal I've had at that spot since Fuel Pizza in 2001.

[HopHead]

Just to add to the list of kudos Press is receiving... My girlfriend and I went there last night for dinner. As mentioned above, the sushi is reasonably priced and VERY good. For me, spicy tuna rolls are always a good indicator of a restaurant's sushi and I thought they were excellent. The seaweed salad was good too. I'm not much of a wine drinker other than an occasional cab or merlot, but was quite impressed with their selection. I like how you can walk in, grab a bottle and just sit down. My girlfriend who is more of a wine consumer was impressed with both the selection and prices. Like appetite for construction mentioned, the beer list isn't that long but you can't beat what they have and the price with a stick. I had a few of their bulgarian pilsners which were a $1.50 EACH! All in all, this place gets two thumbs up from me. If you are in the mood for sushi and don't feel like waiting 2 hours to eat at Nikko, I definitely recommend going here. It's a great alternative for sushi.

As a side note, a lot of people were in there cheering on Davidson as they beat Wisconsin.

[machinegunn]

(First-time poster here)

I just visited Trademark last Friday, March 18th, and was very impressed overall. I do, however have a question about guest parking and building access. It seems that guests can park in the first few levels of the parking deck during non-business hours and weekends. It also seemed that guests could be buzzed in through the exterior door, but would not then have elevator access. Is that right? Do residents have to ride the elevator down to let in anyone coming over to visit?

The only other "issues" I saw "

-the so-called gym is practically non-existant. I remember one elliptical machine, two treadmills and some free weights, but not much else.

-lack of ovens in some units. This isn't a big issue, for me as a single guy unlikely to do much baking, especially since they have convection microwaves.

We had a bottle of wine at Press and it was a nice atmosphere. The waitress mentioned the possibility of deliver to Trademark condos and the pool.

Can some current residents weigh in on the guest access/parking situation (or anything else)? Thanks.

[Abe Froman]

(First-time poster here)

I just visited Trademark last Friday, March 18th, and was very impressed overall. I do, however have a question about guest parking and building access. It seems that guests can park in the first few levels of the parking deck during non-business hours and weekends. It also seemed that guests could be buzzed in through the exterior door, but would not then have elevator access. Is that right? Do residents have to ride the elevator down to let in anyone coming over to visit?

The only other "issues" I saw "

-the so-called gym is practically non-existant. I remember one elliptical machine, two treadmills and some free weights, but not much else.

-lack of ovens in some units. This isn't a big issue, for me as a single guy unlikely to do much baking, especially since they have convection microwaves.

We had a bottle of wine at Press and it was a nice atmosphere. The waitress mentioned the possibility of deliver to Trademark condos and the pool.

Can some current residents weigh in on the guest access/parking situation (or anything else)? Thanks.

[machinegunn]

There is guest parking on the first level of the parking deck during business hours and then additional parking available in offices spaces after hours and on weekends. Tenants can buzz their guests through the security doors and send the elevator down to the lobby at the same time. The guests get into the elevator and can only access the floor of the tenant that sent the elevator down for them.

Also, with 2 YMCA's within walking distance there really is no need for a large exercise room. The space works for someone wanting to get in a quick workout when they can't make it to the Y.

Hope this helps.

[Windsurfer]

Thanks for the quick reply, that's fantastically helpful and brings to mind some related questions.

Can residents buzz in guests through the door/elevator from a cell phone or does it have to be a landline phone in the building? Also, what limitations are there on cable and/or internet providers in the building? (Ideally I'd like to only pay for internet, and do without a landline phone or cable TV.)

I agree that the proximity of other gyms really mitigates the small facilities at the Trademark as a problem. I stopped in the Childress Klein (Uptown) Y and was impressed. I also saw that the Embassy Sports Club was right on the "square" for those looking for a higher end option.

[sleightofhand]

(First-time poster here)

I just visited Trademark last Friday, March 18th, and was very impressed overall. I do, however have a question about guest parking and building access. It seems that guests can park in the first few levels of the parking deck during non-business hours and weekends. It also seemed that guests could be buzzed in through the exterior door, but would not then have elevator access. Is that right? Do residents have to ride the elevator down to let in anyone coming over to visit?

The only other "issues" I saw "

-the so-called gym is practically non-existant. I remember one elliptical machine, two treadmills and some free weights, but not much else.

-lack of ovens in some units. This isn't a big issue, for me as a single guy unlikely to do much baking, especially since they have convection microwaves.

We had a bottle of wine at Press and it was a nice atmosphere. The waitress mentioned the possibility of deliver to Trademark condos and the pool.

Can some current residents weigh in on the guest access/parking situation (or anything else)? Thanks.

[Windsurfer]

- I agree that the small gym is not that big of a deal. It works for a quick workout. I also use the YMCA's that are only a few blocks away.

- The amenity deck is great. I couldn't be happier with the pool.

- Parking is an issue. Originally the residents were given zero guest parking but were able to fight for some but not enough in my opinion.

- Blvd Centro dropped the ball when it comes to the lobby. I'm so jealous of 230 S. Tryon and the Avenue. These two buildings each have beautiful lobbies.

- David Furman obviously did this to save a buck which he's apparently known for I'm now learning.

- Buzzing the visitors in works well once you're used to it.

- I'm very happy living there.

[machinegunn]

As far as parking, something's going to have to be done about outsiders parking there. Saturday evening all the spaces were taken, and I saw more than one couple park their cars, get out and walk out the building on to Mint Street. Obviously, they weren't visiting anyone in the building. We had a party ourselves, but most of our guests just parked on Trade. No big deal for them, and in fact, they thought it would be simpler than negotiating a parking deck.