City Tavern Serving Craft Beer, Oysters & Cocktails Feb 4

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After a lengthy build on the bottom floor of FIGat7th, City Tavern in Downtown will be ready to show off its expansive new space on February 4, decked with masculine leather and wooden furniture as well as exposed brick walls and wooden paneling. Taking on a typical gastropub look, City Tavern will boast a more innovative, relevant menu under the helm of chef de cuisine Randy Montoya (Sadie) and culinary director Jessica Christensen. Founded by Ken Kaufman, Brian McKeaney, and Dave Northrup (Rush Street, Roadside Eats), the convivial beer-centric pub will boast a much stronger cocktail program under the direction of duo Brent Falco (Cole's) and Cari Hah (Peking Tavern).

New additions to the menu include an of-the-moment nod to seafood, including an expanded crudo section and freshly shucked oysters that will make quite the lunch on the outdoor patio. Other dishes include Fried Chicken Nuggets, Shrimp & Grits, and Wild Salmon with herb gnocchi.

Curated by General Manager Matt Meiers, City Tavern Downtown will continue its tradition of doing weekly pint nights and beer dinners that will appeal to hop heads through 28 taps that will rotate regularly. Local breweries Ohana, Ladyface, and The Dudes will feature prominently on the taps while a stronger wine list than the Culver City original will stick to Californian wineries.

Back to the bar, Falco and Hah have built a friendly drink list of happy hour specials ($5-6), "serious" martinis, and specialty cocktails like the Pineapple Express, which uses pineapple juice, mezcal, lime juice, and bitters. Mini-martinis use Beefeater gin, Carpano Antica, and Noilly Prat that allow imbibers to try a number of drinks without committing to a larger beverage.

City Tavern should elevate the Financial District bar game quite a bit with a strong menu and drink program, though it could ultimately be difficult to shake the perception of being a mall restaurant.
·All City Tavern Coverage [~ELA~]