This fall, Columbus diners will have two new places to tempt their palates.
In September, a new Mexican restaurant is expected to open in the space at 201 Alabama St., formerly occupied by Big Kahuna”s Beach Club.
And, in October, the owner of a previous downtown restaurant is expected to open a new tapas restaurant on Military Road, in a space formerly occupied by Garibaldi”s Mexican Restaurant.
La Fogata Grill
Phillipe Hernandez, the owner of Mi Hacienda, and restaurants in Starkville and Decatur, will open La Fogata Grill, a Mexican restaurant.
“Phillipe is an excellent restaurant operator,” said Phil Moncrief, the owner of Gateway Shopping Center, where the new restaurant will be located. “We”ll have good lunches and good dinners.
“He”s completely started over (in renovating the building),” Moncrief added of Hernandez, noting la fogata is Spanish for fire. “This is a major construction project. He”s doing a bang-up job. They”re bringing in a new sound system and he”s just really starting over.”
A lunch buffet also will be offered at the restaurant, which regularly will feature live music on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, said Hernandez.
Possum Town Tavern
“It”s going to be very unique food, which does not exist in Mississippi,” owner Fritz Ehrentraut said of his new restaurant, Possum Town Tavern, located at 2222 Military Road.
“Most of the people know me,” said Ehrentraut, when asked what kind of food the restaurant would serve. Ehrentraut previously owned Tapas 509, which was located at 509 Main St. in downtown Columbus.
Featuring continental cuisine and tapas from Spain, Germany, France, Hungary, Italy, Austria, Sweden and other countries, the new restaurant is expected to open Oct. 1.
A recording studio, Possum Town Records, housed upstairs in the same building, will open in about a month, Ehrentraut noted.
For more information or to view the menu for Possum Town Tavern, visit possumtowntavern.com.
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