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Scenes from the Dead Celebrity 3 Miler in late October.
Dan Trittschuh
Mouton
Yusef Riazi calls Mouton, 954 N. High St., his “barstaurant.” The renovated space has a coffee shop feel with a cozy, modern diner setup. The offerings are quite broad; menu items include cured meats and cheeses, bread from Rigsby’s Kitchen, espresso, wine, craft beer and vintage cocktails.
“Nothing’s skimped on,” says Riazi, who opened Mouton earlier this year. And there’s a plentiful homage to Ohio ingredients, as Riazi serves Oyo Vodka from nearby Middle West Spirits and even milk from Snowville Creamery in Pomeroy.
Espressos are $2 to $5 and vintage cocktails $7 to $15. Wines are served by the carafe ($15 for a half and $30 for a full). “European wines are my passion,” Riazi says. Mouton is open 5 to 11 pm on Wednesday, till midnight on Thursday and 4 pm to 1 am Friday and Saturday. Happy hour, which offers $2 off all vintage cocktails, is held during the first two hours of business.
It’s complexated
In early November, the CGS Group, which owns Park Street Saloon, the Social and Park Street Patio, announced that the three Arena District hot spots would merge into one joint venture—called Park Street Complex. “It’s all connected now,” says co-owner Brian Swanson.
The stairwell connecting Social’s second-floor balcony with the outdoor area of Patio—which was previously blocked off—will now be open, and the front patios along Park Street—which were previously separated from one another—will now be joined.
Ladies will get in free all the time, while a $5 cover will be charged for guys. Monthly memberships purchased for the Social will be honored, as members still can enjoy valet parking and an open bar from 9 to 11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays as well as other perks and discounts, Swanson says.
Brews and spirits
Rockmill Brewery opened at 5705 Lithopolis Rd. in Lancaster in mid September, says Matthew Barbee, who co-owns and operates the establishment with his parents. What makes their four ales special, he says, is that they use all organic ingredients, including hops. Barbee says Rockmill brews can be found at Whole Foods in Dublin, Shaw’s Restaurant & Inn in Lancaster, House Wine in Worthington and Bodega in the Short North. Additionally, tastings can be made by appointment by e-mailing matthew@rockmillbrewery.com.
Watershed Distillery opened Sept. 1 at 1145 Chesapeake Ave. in Grandview, distilling a “smooth, traditional” vodka and a gin “with a pretty good balance of citrus,” says co-owner Greg Lehman, adding that each is made using 100 percent corn. Lehman says the distillery is hoping to barrel its first batch of whiskey, and if all goes to plan, it might be available sometime later in 2011. Starting Dec. 1, Watershed will host tastings by appointment. “We want to show people what we’re doing, what the process looks like,” Lehman says. “Our whole place smells like gin when it’s coming off the still. We want people to experience that.”
For more information or to make a tasting appointment, e-mail greg@watersheddistillery.com.
New bar, strange race
The franchise owners of Boston’s the Gourmet Pizza (191 W. Nationwide Blvd. and 1099 Lydia Dr. in Marysville) have bought the venerable Arena District spot Frog Bear & Wild Boar and renamed it 343 Front Street Tavern & Sports Bar. Former Frog Bear floor manager Brad Thacker, who now works in the same capacity at 343, was mum on why the nine-year-old bar shut down, but one source says that it hadn’t “been doing well for a while.”
Bar manager Jason Roberts says things will stay pretty much the same for now. “The format is going to be very similar,” he says. There will be rock music and deejays, and he’s tinkering with the idea of karaoke.
Happy hour is Monday through Friday from 3 to 7 pm and offers $4 appetizers and $3 for pints and all liquor drinks.
On Oct. 29, 343 hosted the second annual Dead Celebrity 3 Miler, which called for runners to dress as their favorite celebrity who died within the past 12 months. Following the race, there was a party at 343, with a costume contest, prize giveaways and free food. Roberts says he went as Dalton, Patrick Swayze’s bar-brawling character from Road House.
—Ben Zenitsky
