Chicago native fosters neighborhood feel at market

There are not many neighborhood markets in Centennial Hills.

In fact, there are not too many west of the Mississippi, according to Chicago native Bea Sharif, who looked to buck that trend with last month’s grand opening of House of Vino at 8053 N. Durango Drive.

“In Chicago, we all had a neighborhood market where your dad could go to get your beer, your mom could go to get your wine,” the 51-year-old former corporate sales executive said. “There was no such thing as a Lee’s or a Total Wine at that time.

“So that’s the vision. We’re trying to bring the best of that to the valley, trying to create a concept that’s communal.”

Now in semi retirement , Sharif expects that the combination mini-mart and Italian deli will catch on in the valley.

Located six miles from the nearest major liquor store and about a mile from the nearest grocery store, House of Vino’s new home has hosted three tenants in as many years. Undaunted, its owner went all out , stocking hundreds of wines from area distributors, dozens of beers from small, craft breweries and a full-service deli featuring Boar’s Head meats to go along with gourmet pizza.

“It’s a pocket of (residential) development . That’s why I picked this spot,” Sharif said at the store’s May 17 grand opening. “Having a location in this area, offering what we’re offering, I think it’s going to be great. I’m not going to beat Albertsons on price, but I will beat them on service, location and experience.”

Three East Coast transplants worked during the market’s opening weekend.

Jordan Lorenzo was born in New York City but will be working behind the deli counter until she heads back to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ Greenspun School of Journalism this fall.

“This is what it’s like in New York,” Lorenzo said of the store’s layout. “It’s back East-ish . I know that’s why I like it.”

House of Vino’s hybrid of deli, liquor and convenience store was just as familiar to fellow New Yorker Rob Amato, the store’s new wine distributor.

The store, he said, brought to mind places from back home that were hard to forget but sometimes even harder to pay for. “(Price) is the only difference between this place and New York,” Amato said. “That and maybe the deli counter is a little smaller.”

House of Vino is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, call 702-834-8466.

Contact Centennial and North Las Vegas View reporter James DeHaven at jdehaven@viewnews.com or 702-477-3839.