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    The Red Brick Tap & Grill Finally Opens in Merion Village

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    After months of unforeseen delays and pushed-back relaunch dates, Red Brick Tap & Grill, the much-beloved Merion Village spot originally known as the Red Brick Inn, will officially open its doors today on Thursday, December 12th. Located at 292 East Gates Street, the new Red Brick is still very much a neighborhood joint where there’s something for everyone.

    The interior is all shiny black and red, with a wall of 310 comic book covers (mainly from the Marvel vaults) anchoring the main dining area. There’s a real retro diner feel to the place with the addition of metal and chrome fixtures, as well as neon signs encouraging customers to Eat Pie.

    The Pie they’re referring to is pizza pie, one of the things for which Red Brick Tap & Grill wants to be known. Manager Justin Riley, who has lived in Long Island, wants to introduce what he calls “real New York style” pizza to the Columbus masses: a thin, but not flimsy, crust that supports fresh toppings, and can be served by the single large slice.

    He hopes his new chef can help him realize the dream. Chef Mike Mottashed is a South Florida native who once fancied being a marine archaeologist. After he put himself through college by cooking, he made the switch full-time, and has since worked in various kitchens, from fine dining to corporate. He spent the last 4½ years behind the scenes at Mellow Mushroom, till a meeting with Riley and owner, George Stefanidis.

    Mottashed’s love of smoked meats provided the final impetus for Red Brick’s menu, which affordably features coneys, sliders, sandwiches, burgers, and of course, pizzas. Porky’s Revenge probably best represents the delicious melding of these two intentions: bacon, house-smoked pulled pork and pork belly, and fried jalapeños top a pie with a chipotle ranch base and mozzarella and smoked Gouda cheeses.

    There’s even something for the vegetarians. The Lisa Simpson pie contains sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, red onions, bell peppers, black olives, and smoked tofu, and promises to be equally as tasty as its meatier cousins.

    As much as possible, the produce that Red Brick uses is local and freshly delivered. All of their meats come from neighboring Falters Meats, but they do grind the burgers in-house in order to ensure high quality for the customer.

    Because the customer comes first at the new Red Brick Tap & Grill. There is a soda dispenser where customers are encouraged to get their own refills if they’d like, a photo booth to capture all the moments that should probably be forgotten, and in the bar area, visitors will find 20 (10 at the bar, 10 at the island) chargers and USB ports for their cell phones and computers.

    Red Brick Tap & Grill will also offer growlers for $5.99 plus the cost of brew. There will be 30 revolving taps from which to choose, including offerings from local outfits like Seventh Son, as well another 70 bottles sure to please any palate.

    “This place is like a second home for a lot of people, and that’s the way we like it,” says Riley about the reopening of Red Brick. “We’ve kept the neighborhood feel, just gave it a facelift. We want everyone to come in, have some good food, a cold beer, and a good time.”

    Red Brick Tap & Grill will be open Monday-Friday, 4pm – 2am, and Saturday-Sunday, 11am – 2am. For more, follow them at www.facebook.com/redbricktapandgrill.

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    Ayana Wilson
    Ayana Wilsonhttps://columbusunderground.com
    Ayana Wilson is a former staff writer at Columbus Underground who covered local restaurant industry news.
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