Walking Observations: Your New Neighborhood Hangout(s)

Wow, do I have a lot to talk about this week. A lot happened recently and Woody and I went on some pretty long walks this weekend. So, you'll be hearing a lot from me in the next couple days.

First thing to share is definitely one of the upcoming additions to downtown that I am most excited about: Barrio's new location near East 4th Street. If you aren't familiar with Barrio, they are a Tremont staple (also with a Lakewood location and a food truck) that serves amazing build-your-own tacos, plus their own monthly specialty tacos and delicious beverages out of mason jars. Every time I go to the Tremont location it is PACKED, so hopefully this will spread out some of the business while introducing it to out-of-towners and suburbanites that only come into the city for games and events. I'm not quite sure of the opening date, but it will be this fall and I will be a frequent visitor.

Another new hangout that I've been long awaiting is Butcher and the Brewer, a new brewpub/butcher shop/speakeasy on East 4th Street. This place has been teasing me for about a year and it FINALLY opened this weekend. Curt and I stopped in for a drink Saturday night and ended up sampling all their in-house brews (it's $2.75 for a 5-ounce sample). We fell in love with the ambiance the moment we walked in the door. Some highlights:

• The place is HUGE and the seating is more communal rather than sectioned off.
• The bar has ample seating, and part of it is a chalkboard so you can play hangman/tic tac toe, write messages or write down what beers you are drinking.
  
• The bartenders are SUPER knowledgeable and the service is great.
• There are 5 TVs and all are set to black and white.
• The bathrooms. The bathrooms are where it's at. I may be an odd bird for thinking this. Basically, the men's stalls are on the left and the women's are on the right and there is a communal trough for a sink. Being somewhat of a romantic, I sincerely hope that some memorable meet cutes happen at that trough. 
• The beer is great, and they also feature "celebrity" drafts from other local breweries as well as some "global" varieties.

These two places are just a handful of new hotspots opening before the year is through. Are there any new places in your neighborhood that are must-visit drinking and eating establishments? Let me know in the comments below!