The Granola Bar in Rye launches after-hours upscale bar menu
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Photography by Andrew Dominick
Riddle me this. The Granola Bar begins each morning frothing lattes, stacking egg sandwiches, and spreading avocado on sourdough. If they switch it up after hours by dimming the lights, mixing cocktails, popping corks, and serving up dry-aged smash burgers, caviar topped hash browns, and trout roe deviled eggs, what’s it called then?
The Bar.
Sorry, that wasn’t as clever as a puzzle presented by a certain Batman villain.
But nevertheless, what’s happening at The Granola Bar’s Rye location is something worth spilling. And it all goes down in a setting that’s fit for Gotham City. All the marble, mirrors, palms, and live garden walls make it feel like a cross between Manhattan chic and Miami Beach. It’s fit for date night, girls’ night (or guys’ night!), and a quick after-work drink. Psst! The Bar opens at 5. Just an FYI.
Owners Julie Mountain and Dana Noorily said they simply wanted to introduce The Granola Bar’s alter ego to the suburbs to fill a void.
“In the daytime, we elevated breakfast and lunch, and now we are bringing the same ethos to The Bar,” Mountain and Noorily explain. “Specifically, elevated food that tastes delicious and is served in a beautiful environment with gorgeous drinks and great music.”
Of course, everything at The Bar begins at…the bar. Most of their intro cocktail menu are refreshing, fruity, spritzy beverages where one won’t be enough. And you might notice a trend if your pop culture game is strong. The Dorothy, The Blanche, The Rose, and The Sophia are all named after The Golden Girls. The rest — including the super smooth Mack’s Old Fashioned, half rye, half Japanese whiskey riff — are named after people who’ve helped and supported Mountain and Noorily during their hospitality industry journey.
While cocktails seem to be a focus at The Bar, there’s plenty of wine—reds, whites, and sparkling — to savor, plus rotating beer drafts including a nitro line for a proper, creamy, heady pour of Guinness.
To stand up to the booze at The Bar, you probably shouldn’t expect a breakfast wrap or a plate of eggs to carry over from the morning menu. The Bar is all about upscale pub grub. A juicy Pat LaFrieda blend patty served smash burger style on an ideal Martin’s Potato Bun is the way to go no matter what you’re drinking, as is a fried chicken sandwich with slaw and pickles.
But let’s face it, you likely aren’t giving anyone half your handheld. Good thing there’s a lot that can be shared. Fries with truffle aioli (with add-ons like hot oil or truffle parmesan), everything bagel pigs in a blanket, blistered shishitos, sliders, salads, and Korean style wings all lend to splitting plates.
Expect the staples like the burger to stick around, but we’re led to believe that you can anticipate specials, additions, creativity, and some seasonal elevated bar food to show up and switch in and out.
What you’re really wondering about is if The Granola Bar’s Bar will translate to Westport, Fairfield, Stamford, and Greenwich, or possibly in another new location…
It’s not a no. It’s a maybe. Or it’s a not-yet.
Mountain and Noorily both answered that with, “The day-to-evening concept is unique to Rye and will remain the focus for that venue. Our other locations will continue to evolve based on customer feedback and how we want them to continue to experience the brand in new ways.”
Andrew Dominick is a food & drink writer/photographer based in Norwalk, CT. When he’s not penning pieces for CTbites, Westchester Magazine, or Hudson Valley Magazine, he keeps busy practicing martial arts, pretending to be a bartender at home, exploring restaurants even when not on the clock, weightlifting, and hiking — because balance is everything when you’re a food writer. Follow him on Instagram @andrewdominick.
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