When Joshua Gonzales floated the idea of opening his own cocktail spot to friends at last year’s Dig IN, he didn’t know where it would end up or what the final concept would be. He just knew he wanted to build on his bartending experience—sparked at an Olive Garden in Albuquerque in his native New Mexico and refined at Pizzology, Libertine Liquor Bar, and then The Ball & Biscuit. But when he brought in developer Jon Altman, and the old Thunderbird Night Club location became available, he immediately wanted to do an homage to one of Fountain Square’s legendary dives. “We didn’t even know it had been a bar until we started uncovering the old Thunderbird sign,” Gonzales says. Straightforward cocktails (some by the pitcher) will stick to a moderate price point. And food with a Southern flair will include funky bar bites such as tasso-ham hush puppies and duck-heart biscuits and gravy.
1127 Shelby St.
Photo by Tony Valainis
This article appeared in the December 2013 issue.
