When I first walked into the light and bright Vic’s Wine Bar, the new weekend-only respite in the Little King space, owners Aleah and Ethan greeted me with such warmth I felt like I had arrived at a friend’s house for happy hour. Eyes genuinely bright and wine bottles in hand, it was as if they couldn’t wait to catch up, pour me a glass, and offer me a bite of the latest recipe they’ve been obsessing over. This kind of hospitality is rare, and the vibe at Vic’s is as refreshing, natural and delicious as their fantastic wine list.
“Ethan tracked every time we hosted friends for a meal last year at our tiny studio apartment, and we hosted people almost 100 times in 2025,” said Aleah Schepps Elisara, who co-owns the bar with husband, Ethan Elisara. “Vic’s feels like a natural extension of that shared love of having people over to ours for a meal and drink.”
Yes, folks could go to hospitality school or spend years in the service industry (and the couple does have loads of service experience), but I’ve found that business owners who were raised with the value of hosting have an innate gift for making guests feel special that simply cannot be taught.
Ethan and Aleah both exhibit this homegrown cordiality in spades. Aleah’s parents were part of a dinner club where her family cooked for more than 20 friends regularly, and Aleah enjoyed a front-row seat to the magic of nourishing others. Ethan was inspired by his Auntie Victoria, who lives in Auckland and whose grace left such an impact on him that they created Vic’s in her honor. “I lived with her and my uncle during COVID, and that time staying with them had a profound impact on my life, especially being hosted and cared for by them as an early twentysomething in a really uncertain time,” Ethan said. “The sort of easy, warm hospitality I felt from them is what I want Vic’s to feel like.”…