Downtown music venue Whisky Bar to open next month
A new bar and live music venue is set to open next month in the former Fat Cats Dueling Piano Bar space at 537 E. Pete Rose Way.
Bill Marx, who is opening Whisky Bar with business partner Eli Reeher, said it will have a laid-back feel, with more than 40 types of whiskey, whisky cocktails and a “Whisky Hall of Fame,” with photos and quotes from famous whisky drinkers such as Mark Twain and Winston Churchill, adding to the whisky theme.
The bar will host both national and local acts, including top 40, ‘80s rock cover bands and acoustic sets.
“It’s all about fun,” he said. “We want everyone to be comfortable and have a good time.”
Marx said he and his partner are targeting a Dec. 9 opening date, provided that the liquor license transfers in time, so that Whisky Bar can participate in this year’s Santa Pub Crawl — where bar-goers don Santa costumes for a night of bar hopping – which Marx organizes to benefit Toys for Tots.
In the spring, the venue will add Bourbon Bar, a restaurant within the bar specializing in gourmet exotic burgers, such as venison, alligator and bison. Marx said he hopes to have that up and running no later than March.
Knotty Pine to close
One of the charming elements of Knotty Pine on the Bayou, the Louisiana-inspired restaurant in Cold Spring, is its slanting floor. But that indicates some structural problems in the old road house, and it has become too expensive to fix. So the owners, John and Kathy Caulfield, said on their Facebook page that they will have to close the location. However, they plan to relocate the restaurant. No word yet where that might be.
Fountain Square to add food truck area
The Cincinnati City Council last week approved new areas for mobile food trucks to park around Fountain Square.
The plan creates one zone on Vine Street and two more zones on Fifth Street where vendors can park 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except during rush hours.
Though the new rule goes into effect immediately, the city will put up signage first, so the trucks can begin using the zones some time after Thanksgiving.
Mr. Hanton to replace Booj’s
Mr. Hanton’s is a hot dog truck, plying the city streets to sell hot dogs, goetta dogs, Italian sausage and other fancy tubular meals. Its owner, Brian Hinton (yes, the owner of Mr. Hanton’s is Mr. Hinton) is now going to also open a fixed location on the West Side.
He plans to open Dec. 1 in the location of Booj’s skinless fried chicken, in the White Oak Shopping Center at 5826 Cheviot Road. (Booj’s is going out of business.)
The menu will be more extensive, and include everything on the truck plus creations like the Big Dipper, which is fried mozzarella sticks on Texas toast with marinara and provolone; a deep-fried PB&J; a goetta dog on a stick, wrapped in bacon, dipped in pancake batter and fried; a Smokehouse sausage with cheese whiz, bacon, barbecue sauce and cheddar cheese; ice cream floats and more.
It will be mostly carry-out, with room for about eight or 10 seats. Hinton plans to be open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-3 a.m. Friday and Saturday, to serve folks leaving the several bars within a few blocks.
Wine Guy Bistro to open in Fairfield Township
The Wine Guy Bistro, based in Columbus with a location in Rookwood Pavilion, will open a second area location in Bridgewater Falls Lifestyle Shopping Center in Fairfield Township during the first quarter of 2012.
Owner Craig Decker said the 6,300-square-foot restaurant and wine shop will have a similar look and feel to Rookwood, with hand-built wine racks and tables to give it a rustic touch. It will also offer the same American bistro menu, with both tapas and dinner.
At Bridgewater Falls, the bistro will be located on the south end of the center, next to Mattress Firm, and will include an outdoor patio. With the inclusion of a 40-seat party room, it will seat about 200, Decker said. When it opens, which should be in February or March, it will serve both lunch and dinner.
Polly Campbell and Shauna Steigerwald
