Downtown Elgin will gain a new tapas and wine bar this week as husband-and-wife team Elizabeth and Guillermo Barrientos prepare to open SUR Barrels & Boards in Dream Hall at 51 South Grove Avenue. The couple, who describe the venture as the fulfilment of a "lifelong dream", will stage a grand opening on Wednesday 5 August.
From home entertaining to a public bar
The new outlet occupies the upstairs bar area of the food hall in the building, a space previously used by Lounge 51. The room comprises a long bar, grouped seating with chairs and couches and a number of barrel-style tables with stools. The menu will focus on small plates intended to mirror the way the owners entertain at home, with an emphasis on sharing.
- Offer: charcuterie and artisan cheese boards, small plates and pinsa Romana (a type of flatbread).
- Setting: upstairs food-hall bar space at Dream Hall, 51 S. Grove Ave.
- Opening: grand opening on Wednesday 5 August.
Elizabeth Barrientos, who identifies as Argentine–Italian, said food and hospitality have long been central to family life. She told the Daily Herald the aim is to make customers feel like guests in her home. Although she does not claim professional restaurant experience, she draws on years of hosting for friends and family and a background in nonprofit work as a child advocate.
"I’m Argentine-Italian, so our life is about food. I’ve always hosted. Anybody comes over, we take out a board and start cutting salami, cheese and olives, and we eat."
Menu highlights and atmosphere
The menu is described as an assortment of small plates with a focus on charcuterie boards featuring artisan meats, cheeses, seasonal fruit, olives, nuts and spreads. The couple will also offer variations of pinsa Romana, a Roman-style flatbread. One example cited is the La Porteña, topped with fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, arugula, shaved Parmesan and balsamic vinegar.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Dream Hall, 51 S. Grove Ave, upstairs bar space |
| Owners | Elizabeth and Guillermo Barrientos |
| Offerings | Charcuterie boards, small plates, pinsa Romana, wine |
| Opening | Grand opening: Wednesday 5 August |
The Barrientoses said the food hall environment played a part in their decision to launch the business. Elizabeth, who worked with CARE and CASA Kane County as a child advocate, has frequented Dream Hall while working in the community and felt it offered a communal atmosphere she wanted to join.
"I loved it. It just felt like community. It felt like I could be here all day," she said. That sense of communal welcome appears central to the concept: an approachable wine bar where boards and small plates are shared in a relaxed, living-room-style setting.
What this means for Elgin
The arrival of SUR Barrels & Boards is part of a broader pattern of independent hospitality operators taking space in Elgin's town centre and food-hall developments. For local residents it represents another dining option aimed at social dining and casual evening trade. For Dream Hall, the replacement of a previous operator in the upstairs bar area maintains footfall and variety within the building.
Local customers and visitors looking for a communal, board-led eating experience and wines by the glass will now have a new option in the heart of the city. The couple’s emphasis on hospitality and home-style entertaining may appeal to those who prefer informal, shareable dining and an intimate bar atmosphere.
SUR Barrels & Boards will hold its grand opening on 5 August. Further practical details such as opening hours and the full wine list will be published by the business at launch.
