Misconceptions. That used to be the name of the low-slung building at 3719 Third Ave. South in Birmingham.
Even now, with a fresh identity and change of ownership, people still have mistaken ideas about the place. At least, that's how it seems to Merrilee and Brad Challiss.
They're the sister-and-brother team behind Bottletree, a live music venue, eclectic arts haven and mostly vegetarian restaurant in the Avondale neighborhood. Another key player is Brian Teasley, a concert promoter who presents shows at Bottletree through his company, Secret History Productions.
All three are in agreement: After nearly a year in business, Bottletree tends to be misunderstood. Not by its regulars, which range from indie-rocker teens to lunch-loving grannies, but by the general public.
"I've heard people say they're not cool enough to come here," Merrilee says. "I hate that perception. People feel intimidated because they don't know the bands. Well, I don't know some of the bands either. There's nobody too cool or uncool."
There's a difference, she maintains, between a cutting-edge attitude and elitist snobbery. Bottletree strives for the former and loathes the latter.
Its staff and volunteers aim to be welcoming and informative, encouraging a sense of discovery.
Acts that appear on Bottletree's small, twinkle-lighted stage can't be heard on Top 40 radio. But those groups might make the cover of Spin magazine -- typically, a few months after a Bottletree date -- or the Web pages of Pitchfork.
"We've had everything from Irish folk music to New Orleans funk to insane Japanese noise bands," Teasley says. "Some of the bands are playing to 1,500 people a night in New York, but they see it as a different thing to do, to be in Alabama playing at this cool, fun little space."
Helping listeners plug into such groups is part of Bottletree's mission. The same goes for avant-garde comedians, indie films, spoken-word performers and emerging visual artists.
Still, the Challisses and Teasley admit that when they began to construct Bottletree in 2006, they did so partly for selfish reasons.
"There's only so much complaining you can do," Teasley says. "We wanted to open a place that would serve food we wanted to eat, show films we liked to see and play music we wanted to hear."
Merrilee Challiss, 36, and Teasley, 35, both grew up in Birmingham. They moved away as young adults, met in Philadelphia, became a couple and returned here about six years ago. She's a visual artist; he's a musician.
Brad Challiss, 32, has several years of restaurant experience. He handles Bottletree's cafe and catering operations, bristling at the mistaken notion that "weird food" comes from his kitchens. In fact, Bottletree's chili won a Birmingham News contest this year as the best in the metro area.
Although the menu started out as strictly vegetarian -- heavy on vegetables, fruit, cheese and tofu -- it has expanded to include options for carnivores, at Brad's urging. These include beef hot dogs, chicken salad, tuna salad and smoked turkey.
"That was my big compromise," Merrilee says, laughing. "I've made other compromises, too. If I could, I'd have solar panels on the roof and recycle everything."
She had her way, though, with Bottletree's furnishings, which rely on thrift-store finds, donations from friends and Merrilee's "folk art meets Danish modern" sensibility. The decor includes a deer head covered with sparkling sequins, kitschy paintings on velvet, retro kitchen chairs, glass-encrusted light fixtures and patterned oilcloth table coverings.
There are two actual bottle trees on site, one on the front porch and one on the side patio.
"It's Southern eclectic on a shoestring," Brad says.
Another misconception blasted: Bottletree's owners aren't rich and they don't have an endless supply of money.
"It's mostly been financed on a wish and a hope and a prayer," Teasley says.
According to the Challisses, their parents bought the building as an investment. Day-to-day operations are breaking even, but "we're in the hole over a couple of hundred thousand dollars," Merrilee says. "We have two huge bank loans."
Neither she nor Brad expects to dig out of the financial hole anytime soon. But they're committed to Bottletree and pleased by its progress over the past 12 months or so. The 75-person capacity for concerts might seem skimpy, but at least a dozen events have packed the house and then some, Teasley says.
Buzz has been building throughout the indie music community; the restaurant is drawing customers from 11 a.m. to closing (usually around 2 a.m.); the catering operation continues to grow.
"Brian and I had a really sketchy business plan when we started," Merrilee says. "I'm sure we did a lot of things backward. We've been sort of making it up as we go along, and hoping it would work. We're still doing that."