3rd & Kenosha (Hodges Bend)

[Conan71]

Found the shots.  Amazing.

[DowntownDan]

Saw this today.

Topeca president creates Hodges Bend: part coffee house, part cocktail lounge

All full-time employees of Hodges Bend will be trained and certified as coffee experts. TOM GILBERT/Tulsa World file
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By NICOLE MARSHALL MIDDLETON World Scene Writer
Published: 11/28/2012  1:54 AM
Last Modified: 11/28/2012  3:54 AM

If a combination coffee shop and cocktail lounge is your dream come true, stay tuned.

If all goes as planned, John Gaberino, president of Topeca, hopes to open Hodges Bend - featuring coffee, wine and cocktails - by mid-December. Gaberino's partner in the venture is Noah Bush, a certified sommelier and mixology expert.

And it's that sort of expertise that Hodges Bend will emphasize, Gaberino and Bush said.

"The education for employees is a huge aspect because if you go and ask for a cup coffee or glass of wine and that barista or sommelier makes a recommendation without really listening or understanding or knowing what the flavors are in the drink that he is offering, there is a disconnect," Gaberino said.

Gaberino said opening a coffee shop and lounge such as Hodges Bend has been a dream of his for about five years. But he didn't want to rush the venture until he was sure that he had gathered people with the proper education and expertise.

Bush is well-known in Tulsa as an expert in his field. The head barista will be Mason Remel, and all of the full-time employees are trained and certified as coffee experts.

"We are going to showcase what wine, coffee and cocktails can be," Bush said. "The whole idea of raising the bar on coffee is to show how it is very much like wine. They both have a place of origin, they both have varietals, and it all comes down to the processing or the wine making," Bush said.

Gaberino said the goal is to create an environment where the expectations are high so the customer is expecting excellence.

To do so, he said the equipment and the personnel have to be prepared. For example, owners have designed their own coffee-brewing system for Hodges Bend and custom-built the bar from the bottom up to suit their serving needs.

The decor is intended to be comfortable with an element of elegance, Gaberino said. And they have invested in a vintage record player with about 300-400 records.

Hodges Bend, which will be at 823 E. Third St., is named after the historical name of the neighborhood where the lounge is located, Gaberino said. The Hodges family included some of the original founders of Tulsa, and the area was named after them.

Hodges Bend will sell some foods such as pastries from their bakery and cheese platters to complement the coffee and drinks.

Another place scheduled for a mid-December opening that will mix full bar service with coffee and food is Phoenix Cafe, 1302 E. Sixth St.

Blake Ewing's Phoenix Cafe will make its own boiled bagels, as well as flavored mashmallows to make S'mores on table hibachis. Other food items will include sandwiches, panini and table fondue.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/article.aspx?subjectid=39&articleid=20121128_39_D1_CUTLIN872147

[rdj]

This is going to be a great spot.  Great people running it.

[carltonplace]

This is going to be a great spot.  Great people running it.

Shout out to N. Booshe!

[Townsend]

Hodges Bend opens on east end of downtown

http://www.tulsaworld.com/blogs/post.aspx?Hodges_Bend_opens_on_east_end_of_downtown%2F21-19012

Hodges Bend, a combination coffeehouse and cocktail lounge, has opened at 823 E. Third St.

John Gaberino, who owns Topeca Coffee with wife Margarita, and Noah Bush, a well-known mixologist and sommelier, are partners in the venture. Mason Remel is head barista.

Hodges Bend is open 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. all week. Alcohol service starts at 11 a.m. daily.

"We are going to start with those hours and see how it goes," Gaberino said. "We might have to adjust some closing times, like on Sunday."

The wine selection includes nine whites, three sparkling wines and eight reds, most of which are not common in other restaurants and even most retail liquor stores. They are priced by the glass, ranging from $7 to $13.

Bush, who most recently worked at Doc's Wine & Food, has created a libations list featuring 10 signature cocktails, priced $9 to $11 and with names such as Tobacco Old Fashioned, Moonshine Derby, Moscow Muller and Tale Spin.

Hodges Bend, of course, has a full line of coffees and specialty coffee drinks.

Food choices include pastries provided by Margarita Gaberino, cheese boards and charcuterie (cured meats) boards.

A long carrera marble bar is the focal point of the room, which also includes easy chairs, sofas and custom-made banquettes.

[nathanm]

I was pretty stoked until I noted the price on the cocktails. You still may find me drunk in the area from time to time, but with BYO liquor.

[Townsend]

I was pretty stoked until I noted the price on the cocktails. You still may find me drunk in the area from time to time, but with BYO liquor.

Those are the "signature cocktails".  I'm a beer drinker.  Still hard to drop $4 to $8 per beer in a number of bars around town though.

[rdj]

Stopped in for a coffee this afternoon.  Very cool layout and decor.  Was essentially empty so hard to get a feel for the crowd once the sun sets.  I'll be back for an evening cocktail.

I didn't notice the prices on the cocktails.  I expected them to be similar to Valkryie.  Is that the case?

[Conan71]

Don't know about Valkyrie, but that's pretty common for "signature" cocktails all over town at other places we've been recently.

Sure am glad they start serving booze at 11am.  Hic!

[davideinstein]

Great area.

[SXSW]

New infill development planned for 3rd & Kenosha.  Restaurant at the corner with retail/office space behind



Looks like Patrick Fox is behind this one (as well as GreenArch II)

[SXSW]

There was a proposal a long time ago to build apartments on that little triangular lot on the other side of 3rd & Kenosha.  It was proposed by KSDG who was active in the Cherry Street area during the mid to late-2000's but now primarily focuses on projects in California.  I would love to revive this project.

[cannon_fodder]

There is a construction fence and lots of activity at 1st and Lansing, the weird little triangle of land.  Is that a staging area for somewhere else or is something going in there? 

[cannon_fodder]

Also, per the 3rd and Kenosha development, here is a little info from the TPAC:
http://www.cityoftulsa-boa.org/boacases/BOA-22400.pdf

Only interesting thing really is a variance to allow an outdoor patio.

[Conan71]

There is a construction fence and lots of activity at 1st and Lansing, the weird little triangle of land.  Is that a staging area for somewhere else or is something going in there? 

Is that where the Tulsa Tough warehouse is now?