It’s been a whirlwind year so far for Garrett Talmage, chef and owner of Mezcla in Italian Village.
In January, soon after being named a Best New Restaurant of 2026 by Columbus Monthly for its elevated Latin cuisine, the restaurant was forced to close after being struck by a van. Mezcla has yet to reopen, though it anticipates doing so later this spring.
All the while, Talmage has had a new concept in the works. It’s called Coldbar.
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Talmage says the name says it all. The concept: A “fine cocktail and cold tapas bar” also located in Italian Village. While not yet ready to reveal the address, Talmage says he is eyeing an August opening.
Coldbar sounds like an ideal spot to beat the late summer heat, where the menu will center on small plates of “anything you can imagine that’s cold. We’ll have fun with it, too,” he says.
Think: Crudo and carpaccio, oysters, nigiri, terrines and caviar. Now, think potato salad. Talmage’s new venture will find a way to tie them all together.
“We’re in the Midwest,” he says, “so you can get caviar and potato salad at the same time.” More traditional tapas like olives and deviled eggs are slated for the menu, but both will be prepared with Talmage’s unique spin that includes a curry brine for the former and chili crisp shoyu flavoring for the latter.
You’ll be able to wash your small bites down with a cocktail—Talmage suggests a Ramos gin fizz. But whatever your preferred libation, you’ll be in the capable hands of Jackson Proctor, now of Bar Room at The Pizzuti, who is designing the menu. (He also developed Mezcla’s cocktail program and remains the restaurant’s beverage director.)
If August sounds too long to wait, guests at Columbus Monthly’s Spring Cocktail Competition will get a sneak peek on May 14. Talmage says it will be the public’s first opportunity to taste “an iteration” of a drink from the Coldbar menu.
Early bird event tickets are on sale now.
This article originally appeared on Columbus Monthly: Mezcla’s Chef Eyes August Opening for New Venture, Coldbar
Reporting by Linda Lee Baird, Columbus Monthly / Columbus Monthly
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
