Oldest House in Little Italy to Become Wine Room
Back in 2008, when San Diego architect Jonathan Segal unveiled plans to develop a tiny 50-by-200-foot lot at India and Fir, there was a chance that it would force Little Italy’s oldest home to move to Sherman Heights. Luckily, that never happened. The A.W. Pray House, a Gothic Victorian built in 1888, stayed on the block after all.
Final plans for The Q, a 7-story mixed-use development, called for the house to be relocated from its original location on the Kettner Blvd side of the block to its current site on India Street. It underwent a massive restoration and was designated a historical landmark.
Local entrepreneur Ruth Melero fell in love with the house and opened her first upscale clothing store, Melero Boutique & Gallery, in December 2009. Since then, you might say that the house has remained one of the cutest landmarks in Little Italy.
Now, the little old house is in for something new once again. Melero plans to relaunch the space as an intimate wine tasting room called M Winehouse. She told Giving Back Magazine that she wants it to be reminiscent of the old cafes she’s seen while traveling around the world, with a classic interior to complement the age of the house.
Look for M Winehouse to open by the end of the year.