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Discuss beer travel and regional information, including the best bars and places to check out around in Canada and around the world, and other chat that is not specific to Ontario.
'Gastropub' also plans to serve quality food in old Merlin's site
By Denise Jewell Gee
NEWS STAFF REPORTER
A new "gastropub" with a long list of beers and an emphasis on high-end bar food is nearing completion in the former Merlin's building on Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo.
Mike Shatzel, co-owner of Cole's on Elmwood Avenue, said Tuesday he hopes to open Blue Monk in time for the Elmwood Festival of the Arts later this month.
Renovation of the building is "98 percent complete," and the bistro is awaiting its liquor license -- a step he hopes to complete within two weeks.
The building -- now painted a deep blue with a wrap-around awning -- has undergone a complete transformation inside, Shatzel said, including new bathrooms, new floors on the second level, a reconstructed bar and an updated kitchen.
"People who have come in and looked can't believe it was Merlin's," Shatzel said.
The pub will offer about 30 beers on tap, including a hand-pumped cask ale, and a long list of bottled beers that will be updated by customer demand.
The menu will include items like steak frites, Belgian fries cooked in duck fat and served with mayonnaise, seasonal cheese and charcuterie plates, gourmet burgers and mussels.
Shatzel said he envisions the new bar following a "gastropub" concept -- which mixes a wide microbeer selection with a focus on quality food.
He hopes to open an outdoor beer garden in the back of the restaurant in the fall or next year.
Shatzel said most of the in-house staff has been hired for the new restaurant, with the exception of a few kitchen staff positions.
Shatzel partnered with long-time friend Kevin Brinkworth Jr., whose family owns the building, on the project when Merlin's closed last winter. They had initially hoped to open the building in the spring, but renovation work and approval processes took longer than expected, Shatzel said.
Shatzel followed his father into the bar business at Cole's Restaurant but hopes to put his own mark on Blue Monk. He said he's had the concept for several years, and it's the first project he's worked on independently from his family.
"This is 100 percent me," Shatzel said. "So in that sense, it's pretty nerve-racking."
I've been in contact with Great Lakes Brewing News publisher Bill Metzger and he told me that the Blue Monk recieved it's Liquor License today and may open next Wednesday. Hope to check it out soon
This place is going to be a huge success. The tap list was unbelievable. The prices were more than fair. Service was great. Good atmosphere and good company. Unfortunately there was no kitchen open at the time.
Seriously though. Cantillion Iris on tap! 2007 at that.
It's a place that would feel like home... especially knowing that Coles is just down the street.
had the Mikkeler / Brewdog IHardcore on tap when we went there last. The interior was beautiful and the every changing tap list is just amazing. when your done at Blue Monk head down the street to Coles, (same owner) Coles seems to be more focused on American craft brews while Blue Monk has plenty of European brews.
I love this place. Over the last few visits enjoyed I Hardcore You, Aecht Schlenkerla Hells Lagerbeer, Sly Fox Blaue Monnik and Ayinger Doppelbock on tap. Food is a tad pricey (but delicious), though I found their Breads and Spreads a pretty good value.
