Get ready for Tonica — a new drinking and eating establishment from the folks who brought you Ecco on Overton Park and Libro.
That would be Sabine Bachmann and her sons, chefs Armando and Mario Gagliano, and John-Paul Gagliano.
It’s slated to open in October at the location of the old Marena’s restaurant at 1545 Overton Park, two doors down from Ecco, says Armando.
“It’s going to be a bar, but a bar that serves food,” he says.
Tonica will be a “neighborhood bar,” where people can get small plates and more substantial dishes. But, he says, “I don’t want that to be considered a tapas bar or anything like that, but it will be more focused on the cocktails. We’re going to put more focus on the cocktails and the wine list.”
And, he says, “The food is not going to be an afterthought. It will be really good — a Spanish influence with a little bit of Italian-Mediterranean twist.”
Bachmann came up with “Tonica” for the name, which is Spanish derived. “The Spanish national drink, believe it or not, is gin tonics, which in Spain is ‘gin tonica,’” Bachmann says. “That’s where I got the name.”
“They are very known for their different types of gin tonics,” Armando says. “They do a lot of tonics with gin and different spirits and herbs and liqueurs.”
Customers will be able to get similar drinks as well as European and South American wines, he says.
John-Paul, who is general manager of all their restaurants, wants Tonica to also be a place people can enjoy while waiting for a table at Ecco, Armando says.
Decor will be “similar to Ecco, but a lot more floral. More plants hanging off the walls. Very white background. A lot of greenery around.”
“Natural wood for the bar and everything,” Sabine says. “Light and airy.”
As of now, Tonica will be a “Thursday through Sunday type of deal,” Armando says. “Something like 4:30, 5 p.m. to around midnight. Kitchen closing at 10 each night. But also some small plates to serve from 10 to close. Like olive trays and bruschetta and stuff like that. Hot food stopping at 10 p.m.”
And the menu won’t be limited to just small plates, Bachmann says. “We also will have paella and some Spanish-influenced main dishes as well.”
His mother always liked Marena’s, Armando says. “My mom loved the location when she lived in the neighborhood long, long ago.”
“Marena” was named for Rena Franklin. “Her cooking was just amazing,” Bachmann says. “Also, she featured different countries every month. It was just wonderful. Then I liked Jack a lot. Her husband, who was always front of the house. They really left a legacy there.”
Bachmann and her sons had previously looked at the location. “It wasn’t right for us at the time,” she says. “Now it’s really right for us to go in there.”
The location previously housed Parish Grocery, which moved to Cooper-Young. “It just seemed like a really good place to put a smaller sister restaurant in the neighborhood,” Armando says. “Like a smaller tavern, but maybe not even that. Just a very local bar, especially to the Evergreen district.”
“Walk to your bar,” Bachmann says.
As for seating, Armando says Tonica will be “somewhere in the neighborhood of what we have inside Ecco and then some. There is some sidewalk dining — not too much — but there’s also this really cool back alley that almost has this New Orleans vibe to it. It’s kind of tucked away, a really tight space. It has a lot of brick back there.”
It has “almost a courtyard kind of feel, but very homey. It’s very intimate.”
Stay tuned. Tonica sounds like a tonic for the neighborhood.
