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Nightjar, an intimate new cocktail and jazz bar, will open later this fall at Eton Chagrin Boulevard in Woodmere. The location, a previously unused space at the plaza, is tucked away down a quiet alleyway, which is guiding many of the concept and design decisions, says co-owner Sam Friedman.
“Our hope is that we’re evoking the idea that this undiscovered space has been there since the turn-of-the-century – kind of left to be – and we have come in and dusted it off. It’s in no way going to look polished, new and fancy; it’s going to have an old-world charm.”
When the buildout is complete, the owners hope that Nightjar evokes the look and feel of a weathered Spanish-style café one might stumble upon in the French Quarter, adds Friedman.
“There’s a very high ceiling in there so we’re building a balcony that kind of wraps around the space inside, like the classic Frenchman Street, Bourbon Street bars in New Orleans,” he states. “They have outdoor balconies that you see from the front, but once you go in, they are two stories and so there are people upstairs who can see down and downstairs that can see up and vice versa for the musicians.”
Music – both live and recorded – will play a major role at Nightjar. At the weekend, there will be live music in the form of small acts playing jazz, blues and rock. During the week, the music will shift to a jazz-heavy vinyl program guided both by staff and guests.
To drink, there will be a selection of pre-Prohibition classics, house cocktails, beer and wine.
A small-scale kitchen will turn out a selection of cocktail-friendly snacks, platters and plates. There will be finger foods like olives, almonds and salty bites. A house take on Khachapuri, the lusty Georgian cheese bread, is certain to be a hit. Tinned fish will be offered in an variety of creative ways. Individual tins will be served with accoutrements like bread, crackers, pickles, fruit… whatever is appropriate for the selection. Groups might opt for a fish board that combines multiple and accompaniments. An even grander feast awaits diners who opt for the omakase experience featuring several tins presented over multiple courses.
Dessert and coffee lovers will find a new friend in Nightjar, Friedman promises.
“We’re really going to be focusing on dessert and coffee service,” he states. “That’s an area that Cleveland, in general, really drops the ball on. You can go to most other cities – small, medium, mid-level and high – and there are so many spots for coffee and dessert at late afternoon or certainly after dinner.”
Those desserts will be sourced from a variety of high-quality local vendors, including kosher desserts from Eton neighbor Fiamma.
Friedman, the driving force behind the City Goods project in Hingetown, including the on-site cocktail bar the Hangar, has partnered on the project with Michael Paley, who runs the amaro-focused cocktail bar Cent’ Anni in Little Italy. The pair believes that there is a gaping hole in the east-side cocktail scene for an adult-friendly lounge that isn’t housed in a restaurant.
“The reality is, what you’re doing is you’re going to a restaurant and you’re sitting in their bar,” Friedman explains. “We have all sat in those restaurant bars. They are not focused on their bar. It’s there as a piece of the restaurant. We know people want something special, something different.”
Nightjar, as any birder will tell you, refers to a family of nocturnal birds with melodic calls. Friedman thought it made a compelling name for a cocktail bar.
“It’s dark. It’s pretty. It’s mysterious,” he says of the night-loving birds. “It comes in and sits up in the rafters and sings a little song. If you’re quiet and pay some attention, you can hear it. If you don’t want to pay attention, it’s still singing the song in the background.”
The owners are planning for a late-autumn opening.
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Douglas Trattner
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