It looks as if Fresh Catch Poke at 500 Pearl will be getting a new neighbor. V|ice – a wood oven inspired restaurant and whiskey bar – will hopefully be opening by late spring 2020, according to KC Mullett, Managing Owner of sister restaurant N|eat (5175 Transit Road). V|ice will join myriad other bars and restaurants at 500 Pearl to create a lively and inspired drinking and dining complex that also features live theatrical entertainment (venue already in place), and 8 lanes of tricked out bowling (coming soon).Â
Mullett says that V|ice will be “… a trendy, casual, atmosphere that will have bocce courts, a lounge area with shuffle board tables, private dining rooms on our second level mezzanine and more. We will have a full menu with items ranging from wood oven pizzas, fresh pasta, seafood and steak options. Our cocktail program, as with our whole concept, will be very approachable. We will offer a full bar with great selections of whiskey, wine, and both local craft beer on draft, and spirits from local distillers.”
Per Bill Paladino, CEO of Ellicott Development, the introduction of Fresh Catch, V|ice, a hotel lounge and swimming pool, and then the swank adult-oriented bowling alley – it’s all part of a plan to create a place where people can pick and choose their pleasures, all within a sprawling building complex that includes hotel rooms and a parking ramp.
Hopefully all of these new additions to this downtown neighborhood will help to reignite a few of the nearby closed bars and restaurants including Buffalo Proper, The Buckin’ Buffalo Saloon, and Bambino Bar & Kitchen. One would think that these could become desirable locations considering their proximity to Chippewa, The Chop House, and Tudor Lounge. With a few more ingredients, possibly introduced by the city (branding and streetscaping), there’s a lot of untapped potential to form a true “pearl” within this district.