September 4, 2016
The restaurant scene in Gainesville just won't quit. New openings are about to happen, and plenty of other dining development is in the works.
What used to be Gator City Sports Grille located at 1728 West University Avenue will soon be The Social at Midtown Restaurant and Rooftop Bar, slated to open at the end of September. Construction is nearing completion on this $2.2 million renovation. The newly redesigned space will include two rooftop terraces that will be connected by a walkway. Each terrace will feature a bar surrounded by plenty of seating. Plus, the rooftop space will have five pergola-covered private dining areas that each have a television and misting fan.
The new restaurant will still be a sports bar, but it will be a little bit more upscale with more unique food offerings. Standard bar food will be on the menu like burgers and wings, but the menu will also include more interesting items such as “pig wings” (a pork shank fried and tossed in a selection of sauces), buffalo chicken wontons, pulled pork nachos, a variety of tacos, twists on Mac n’ cheese, and more.
As for libations, there will be a craft cocktail menu as well as 38 different beers on tap. This is certainly a much anticipated opening for the Gainesville sports bar and restaurant scene.
Furthermore, Italian Gator Pizza by the Slice, whose pizza window is right in front of the former Gator City, will be reopening within a couple of weeks and will feature more space for bigger brick ovens as well as a second window to help accommodate crowds.
There is also a new food truck in town, Vanarchy Sandwiches, which will include items such as a pork schnitzel served on brioche bun, a General Tso-boy chicken sandwich, a chickpea vegan wrap, a chicken and black bean empanada and bacon-wrapped dates. The food truck has a charcuterie focus and is led by a culinarily-trained chef.
For more details on new openings in the growing Gainesville restaurant scene, check out the full article at Gainesville.com.
