A nearly century-old schoolhouse in Valley County has been repurposed into a wine bar.
The old red building has been moved and occupied by different entities over the years, including a produce market, and now — Casa Rossa.
Casa Rossa is located at 377 Main St. in Donnelly and is local restaurateur Steve Topple’s latest endeavor. Topple said he had to move the structure 20 feet closer to the road in an effort to attract customers.
“We relocated it a little bit closer to the road. We had to bring in this company that lifted up the entire house and then moved it closer to the highway; it’s a little bit more visible,” he said. “And I was nervous as can be because it was a 100-year-old building. They kept it together and did a really good job.”
Along with moving the building, Topple also gutted the inside and completely renovated it. He said it is “basically a new house.”
There are 24 seats inside and a yurt directly behind the main house with more seating. Topple said there are a bunch of wine barrels that were repurposed as tables and a shared community table.
On the menu, there are over 85 different wine labels and tapas. There are items like Asian Chicken Wings, Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip, and a Beef Tenderloin Empanada. One of the highlights is a build-your-own pasta bowl. The penne pasta is made fresh from Topple’s other restaurant, Ragazza Di Bufalo.
“(We) bring it over to Casa Rossa and people can choose their own topping. So they can have shrimp, or chicken, or different types of sauces. Which is really fun,” Topple said.
People can stop in on Tuesdays through Saturdays from noon to 8:30 p.m.
In addition to Casa Rossa and Ragazza Di Bufalo in Donnelly, Topple also owns Bistro 45 Wine Bar and Grill in McCall.
“I was at the Shore Lodge for the longest time and then I opened up Ragazza Di Bufalo. Now, I own two wine bars, which I never thought was going to happen, but it’s really cool. I’ve really gotten into the wine industry,” he said. “It’s fascinating getting to taste so many different wines and kind of got a hobby now of collecting wine.”
