Three new spots join the Columbus dining scene today, Wednesday, May 12. Corso Ventures opens its Luxe 23 trio at 1079 N. High St. in the Short North.
Urban Chophouse and Whiskey Lounge occupy the first floor, opening into the building’s lobby which spans the two and will serve as space for the concepts to collide and drinks to be had.
Whiskey Lounge’s namesake spirit will be available in 100 plus varieties, including an Urban Meyer-approved curation of special selections from distilleries like Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Jack Daniel’s, Weller and Woodford Reserve.
By day, the space will live up to its lounge name, but by night adopt more of a club atmosphere with a DJ and bottle service.
Food will come via Urban Chophouse. Across the lobby, the 200-seat steakhouse’s menu includes starters like calamari, mussels and steak tartare, offerings from the raw bar, complete with seafood tower, and a curation of classic steakhouse cuts and sides, including the Coach’s Pick – a 7oz filet, whipped potatoes, Brussels & bacon, herb butter, port reduction and porcini potato chips.
While Meyer may have found a new gig as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars since the concept was first announced, Corso Ventures Director of Marketing Justin Kintz says nothing has changed and the coach is still very much involved in the concept.
“My newest coaching challenge may be in Jacksonville, but my heart remains in my home state of Ohio and the City of Columbus where I experienced many of my greatest career accomplishments,” Meyer said in a press release. “Developing the Pint House from concept to the premier gameday restaurant destination in Central Ohio gave me a similar sense of pride and excitement as taking a team from the first day of practice to the first game. I needed to challenge myself and the unparalleled Corso team to create another concept and I cannot wait to unveil it to the community.”
It’s the second Meyer-Corso partnership. Urban Meyer’s Pint House opened at 6632 Longshore St. in Dublin’s Bridge Park in September 2019.
Outside of steaks and whiskey, the Terrace Bar experience lies on the second floor. It sports its own bar and kitchen, as well as private, rentable cabanas and a large water feature surrounded by seating.
The Terrace Bar menu will feature lighter fare – starters like chips & dip, a fruit & yogurt plate and poke nachos, along with salads, platters like a lobster roll, beef sliders and poke bowl, and eventually, sushi.
With solely outdoor seating, it’s to be determined if Terrace Bar will be a year-round concept.
As for the 113 luxury apartments that are also part of the mixed-used development, Kintz says only a handful are still available. Touted as the building’s amenity, residents have access to perks like a keycard pass to skip the line at any Corso concept, as well as room and bottle service from the restaurants.
“It’s a short drive from Long Street to the Short North, but for me that trip represents a lifetime of growth and transition,” said Chris Corso in a press release. “From that first dance club in the 1990s, I have dreamed of owning and operating venues like these three new brands and partnering with people like Coach Meyer and groups like Luxe 23 operator Preferred Living to create a luxury lifestyle experience within the iconic Short North.”
Corso now owns and operates eight concepts in the neighborhood, including Pint House, Forno, Standard Hall, Short North Food Hall and Goody Boy Diner.
While Corso Ventures has dominated blocks of Short North in recent years, the hospitality group will be heading back to Park Street for its next adventure. Later this year, Corso Ventures will open four yet-to-be-announced concepts in partnership with the new AC Hotel at 517 Park St.
Whiskey Lounge and Urban Chophouse will open at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Terrace Bar will open at 4 p.m. Tuesday to Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
For more information, visit corsoventures.com/luxe-23.
All photos by Susan Post