As I sit around the long wooden table in a dimly lit but cozy room at Corazón, a wine bar in Corvallis, I can’t help but notice just how lively the place is. 

It’s a Wednesday afternoon, it’s cold and already dark outside, but inside the room there is guitar music playing in the background of cheerful chatter and laughter of guests, all creating an ambiance that just warms me up.  

There is a wine tasting event upstairs and more than two dozen people from all over the Corvallis area have gathered to share some good wine and good conversation. 

I’m sitting with Luke Carlson, the head chef who recently joined Corazón, and Nick Cheatham, the co-owner. 

For the past six weeks, Carlson and Cheatham, have been working to create the perfect dinner menu that fits their elegant but welcoming wine bar.

It all started when Carlson was out looking to purchase some wine for a special tasting event he was hosting. Cheatham had just opened the doors of Corazón when Carlson stepped in to ask him for some wine suggestions.  

“(I thought) let’s ask this guy if he knows anything,” Carlson said. “And he did.”

Cheatham suggested a Syrah De La Boue that turned out to be incredibly popular at Carlson’s tasting event. 

“That was the only (wine) that we sold out of that night,” Carlson said. 

“In May, I did another event in cooperation with Corazón and that was one of my favorite menus that I’ve ever done,” Carlson said. “And the space was really good and the environment was really good.” 

After getting to know each other and collaborating, Carlson discovered Cheatham is looking to expand his food menu. 

“I was getting a lot of feedback from our guests that it would be great if we had a little bit more (food) options,” Cheatham said. “And it was something I really was looking to explore.” 

That’s when Carlson threw out an idea. Since they worked so well together, why not continue the partnership and take it a step further?

“I was sort of coming in to consult on a menu and as Nick wanted to expand his menu … I got like ‘I could be a chef here’ and (Cheatham said) ‘actually that would be great’,” Carlson said. 

With different places in Corvallis serving food, both Cheatham and Carlson wanted to see how they could create something different and unique not only in terms of the environment but also the food menu.

“Corvallis is great, it’s wonderful,” Cheatham said. “But it’s also very limited in what we have available in terms of greater food options.” 

Carlson pointed out that most restaurants in Corvallis focus on pub style or elevated pub style.

“When that’s the vast majority, that opens up quite a solid niche for us to fill,” Carlson said. 

The vision Cheatham had for Corazón matched perfectly to Carlson’s skills and goals. What Cheatham wanted was to create a space that wasn’t limited in terms of functionality or restrained to being just one thing. 

“We’re not pigeon holed into being a restaurant or not pigeon holed into being a bar,” Cheatham said. “We’re everything in between. We can execute those high end wine pairing dinners, and then we can be the tapas place.” 

“(We’re) offering elevated elements without being something we’re not,” Cheatham said. “We want to be approachable but sophisticated.” 

Corazón is a place that provides fine wine and delicious meals but it’s also a place where all the Corvallis community comes together. Cheatham and Carlson work to support local farmers and businesses and to highlight the fleet behind their work.

Carlson said most of their ingredients are bought in Corvallis or at local markets on Highway 99.

“Chefs and winemakers are a lot alike,” Cheatham said. “It takes a lot of community behind them to create the products that they eventually serve.”