Adding a Little 'Spice' to Life

With 22 microbrews on tap, a menu filled with homemade dishes and a selection of unordinary appetizers, there’s a new American-style restaurant bringing a “spice” to downtown Southington.

Located along Eden Avenue near the intersection of Main Street, longtime restaurant aficionado Ronnie Newman and Jennifer DiLungo will unveil the town’s newest dining option next week with the grand opening of “Spice” Bar and Grill.

“We were looking to step outside the box and try something new,” said April Grzesczyk, the restaurant’s manager. “The goal is to provide a unique flavor and everything we have on the menu will be made from scratch that day. The selections will revolve around finer things like filet mignons and all meat we use is not only fresh, but will be cut directly from whole cuts of meat and fish.”

Spice Bar and Grill, located at the site of the former , was an idea that Newman and DiLungo developed from Newman’s experience in the business over the years. When the building became available earlier this year after Pig Out closed, DiLungo said the couple decided to jump at the opportunity and try going into business fro themselves.

Newman has worked at restaurants throughout the area and has helped open and manage multiple bars, but this is the first venture into ownership, DiLungo said.

A lifelong Southington resident, Newman wanted a chance to try things for himself and was the mastermind behind the new venture. The name is designed to reflect the restaurant’s cooking style, with a mix of spices being used to create simple, but tasty dishes for patrons, DiLungo said.

“Spices are an important part of many homemade recipes and it’s the reason we decided to use ‘Spice’ as the name of the bar,” she said.

The restaurant has been renovated with a new look and aims to provide patrons with a chance to enjoy a classic-style American Bar and Grill experience – with a twist.

The menu will feature classic bar and grill options including burgers and fries, pub-style meals and comfort foods such as pork chops or pulled pork, but will also have other options not traditionally seen at a typical bar and grill, DiLungo said. The “Gator Bites,” a plate of deep-fried alligator chunks, and bacon appetizers are among a list of items you won’t find in many other places.

It’s not just about food, however. Grzesczyk said the menu also includes a variety of ever-changing drink specialties and a list of 22 local microbrews, crafts and classic beer options on tap, including seasonal drafts from City Steam and Thomas Hooker among others.

Wait staff has also been trained on each of the beers available and have been educated on how to correctly pair different drafts with specific menu options.

“All of our staff has gone through specific microbrew education,” Grzesczyk said. “They’ve been taught about what each microbrew is, what a craft beer is and the alcohols of each by volume. We are also using ‘Beercloud’ technology, an application on our computers which will allow the staff to help educate our customers in all our different choices.”

The list of brews will be ever-changing, especially early on as the business learns the type of choices that their patrons will want, Newman said. Most of the beers will come through Hartford Distributors Inc. and Rogo Distributors of East Hartford.

“We’re excited about this and we hope our customers will be to,” he said.