Wilmington's new cocktails-and-fries concept is closer to opening along the Riverwalk downtown. Courtney Osgood and Jeremiah Ramos, the partners behind Sauce’d, have announced a grand opening on Nov. 18.
The cocktail lounge is located in the former Le Catalan space at 224 S. Water St. They've planned a cocktail menu with an emphasis on North Carolina-made spirits, and will also offer a selection of wine and local beers. Here's a sneak preview of what else to expect at this new waterfront lounge.
1. Cocktails first
Osgood and Ramos have always said that cocktails come first at Sauce’d. Ramos said he fell in love with bartending in his 20s and has developed a number of bar menus for restaurants over the years. In this case, he created recipes around some of his favorite cocktails.
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To that, they've added a lot of fun in the form of fresh juices, specialty ice, and unique glassware. The Good Vibes Only, for example, is a twist on a classic bourbon cocktail that uses N.C.-made Conviction bourbon and a honey-ginger syrup. It’s garnished with a glitter-infused ice cube Buddha.
There is also a device at the bar that can add bubbles and smoky elements to drinks. Ramos can make a classic Cosmo, for example, topped with a dome of lavender-scented smoke.
2. Sauce’d fries
Although cocktails are the priority, you can also nosh on French fries while you sip. Options like waffle-cut fries, thin-cut sweet potato fries and yucca fries will be on the menu with a choice of 12 house-made sauces. The fries are made in a commercial grade air fryer and the sauces were developed to offer a lot of flavor options -- like curry ketchup, cilantro lime aioli, hot honey, and pesto aioli.
3. An East Coast-cool vibe
Both Osgood and Ramos are from New York, but both also love the Miami scene, too. The atmosphere they’ve created at Sauce’d is a reflection of both.
“It’s Miami art deco meets New York City rooftop bar,” Osgood said.
The space has been completely transformed from the other restaurants located there, with a change in flooring and an extension of the bar. The lounge will seat 46 inside on velvety barstools and about 72 outside at new patio tables. There is also a sofa lounge inside and outside, and the spaces are available for private events.
4. There's more ahead
Right now, they plan to be open for off-season hours beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday, and will be open late on Friday and Saturday nights. But more is in the works. Ramos said they hope to continually update the cocktail selections and Osgood also wants to add a limited brunch menu, with brunch cocktails, this spring.
"This patio is just made for that," she said.
Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at [email protected].