STEP BACK IN TIME FOR COFFEE & WINE

PHOTOS BY CAROLINA KORMAN

It isn’t fancy. It isn’t formal. Bodevi Wine and Espresso Bar in downtown San Fernando is like stepping into a 1970s living room, with period furniture beckoning customers to come in, relax and enjoy a glass of wine or a cup of coffee and a little nibble in a corner of the world time has passed by, according to co-owner Joeleen Medina.

Joeleen Medina and husband, Miguel Medina, have opened a new food establishment to complement their restaurant next door, Truman House Tavern.

“Miguel and I are huge fans of the ’70s. We were born in the ’70s. The Truman House Tavern is industrial-themed, with wood and metal. In Bodevi, it’s a ’70s living room. It took a year finding the vintage furniture for the place,” says Joeleen, of the mishmash of old-styled furniture with period posters and art on the wall, including a decorative rotary-dial wall telephone to show the kids.

The Medinas are both chefs. They met in 2006 at a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Reseda. “The second I laid eyes on him, I was hooked,” Joeleen says. “He has a spectacular smile. His eyes always capture me.”

To become chefs, Joeleen studied at the now-defunct Cordon Bleu in Pasadena, and Miguel followed the time-honored tradition of apprenticing in kitchens, working from prep line up to chef. Eventually they bought and ran a bakery, A Sweet Design, in Granada Hills for about 12 years. But after a while with the bakery, the Medinas wanted to return to their culinary roots, so they sold the business in 2017.

“Now we feel we’re serial entrepreneurs,” Joeleen says. In 2018 they opened the Truman House Tavern in the historic downtown San Fernando district, with the idea of creating a fun whiskey bar with beers, burgers and other gastropub fare.

“Almost two years ago, Miguel and I decided to expand and open a wine and espresso bar next door. He and I looooove good espresso. And the bar is a whiskey bar. We were starting to get wine drinkers who were asking for more wine than we would want to carry in our inventory. So it makes sense to spill that over to this space,” says Joeleen, who notes that the space next door was already empty, which made the decision to expand easier.

To make sure they offered the best wine selection possible, the Medinas hired Chrissy Foster to be the general manager of Bodevi, which is a mixture of bodega and vino. “She was an absolute perfect choice as she totally loves wine and has an excellent eye for our design vibe,” says Joeleen.

Foster had a career in merchandizing, but when the pandemic lockdowns hit, she—like so many others—reevaluated her life and work. She decided to follow her passion for wine and winemaking as a long-term career to see where that would take her. She has completed the Wines and Spirit Education Trust program, through level 2, and soon plans to continue on to the next Sommelier level.

Foster says she is having a blast in her new career. “Now that I have a team, it’s been a joy to educate others,” she says. “I taste to try and keep learning as much as I can from wine vendors. Joeleen, Miguel and I get to try select wines. I love to be part of the wine industry. I want to continue my own journey with wine while teaching customers and our team as much as I can about it.”

The coffee bar is a carefully curated menu of drinks with housemade syrups and beans from House Roots Coffee in Granada Hills, and a menu of baked goods from Rockenwagner, Los Angeles. The wine bar menu includes nibbles such as cheese plates, cured meats and seasonal fruits, with numerous vegan options. Bodevi also offers a menu of sandwiches.

“Our tuna is delicious. People who don’t usually enjoy tuna sandwiches find they like this one,” Joeleen says. “The turkey sandwich with chimichurri mayo is the most popular. “I also had to have deviled eggs as a nibble because they are such a ’70s food.” Local food suppliers also include Avo Salc for avocados and Flor de Lima for fruit and orange juice for mimosas.

Bodevi recently changed hours to be open seven days a week at 7:30am in response to customer requests and offers monthly wine pairings in their private special-event space, The Dorado room, that includes a five-wine flight paired with a custom assortment of appetizers.

Bodevi Wine and Espresso Bar
909 San Fernando Rd.
San Fernando
BodeviBar.com