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    First Look: Urban Chophouse, Whiskey Lounge & Terrace Bar at Luxe 23

    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.

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    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.

    Urban Meyer’s approved whiskey selection
    The bar at Whiskey Lounge

    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.

    Booth seating lines the front windows, giving diners at Urban Chophouse a view of High Street
    Windows surrounding this corner table at Urban Chophouse allow diners to see and be seen

    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.

    Terrace Bar has its own bar and kitchen
    Terrace Bar will be open to residents and the general public

    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.”

    The mixed-use Luxe 23 development at 1079 N. High St. in the 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

    Luxe 23’s lobby connects Whiskey Lounge and Urban Chophouse
    Guests of Whiskey Lounge and Urban Chophouse can enjoy drinks in the lobby
    The lobby also serves as a residential entrance for the building
    A sculpture at Luxe 23’s entrance
    Whiskey Lounge occupies the north end of the building
    Soft seating at Whiskey Lounge that can be moved to make way for a live music set-up
    A private seating area at Whiskey Lounge
    Urban Chophouse sits at the south end of the building
    Urban Chophouse will seat 200 at non-COVID capacity
    A tree serves an element of decor at Urban Chophouse
    Additional seating in the Urban Chophouse dining room
    A large crystal chandelier hangs above the bar at Urban Chophouse
    Patio seating at Urban Chophouse faces Third Avenue
    Terrace Bar seating centers around a large water feature on the second-floor courtyard
    Terrace Bar seating
    The outdoor space features a plethora of seating options
    Private cabanas will be available for rent
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    Susan Post
    Susan Post
    Susan is the editor of The Metropreneur and associate editor of Columbus Underground, and also covers small business and entrepreneurial news and the food scene in Central Ohio.Susan holds a degree in Communication with a minor in Professional Writing from The Ohio State University. She sits on the board of the Central Ohio Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and loves coffee, whiskey, cooking and spending time with friends and family.
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