There’s a question below about “recipes,” and by mistake, it seems it was a bit too ambiguous.
This guy is the co-owner of a reinvented eatery on the corner of 10th and Main streets in downtown Wheeling, but when he was asked about “recipes,” his reply had absolutely nothing to do about food. That’s right, and it happened on the very day – yesterday – when the Bridge Tavern & Grill released its brand-new menu of edible joy (it’s below, too).
Instead, when a “recipe guy” was mentioned, Doug Carl’s mind traveled directly to the ingredients of his concocted cocktails, because, after all, “Tavern” does come before “Grill” up in those bright lights. But then – and get this – when Doug is asked (yes, below) about his “Master of Mixology” reputation, the guy gets shy. Shy. Ever seen Doug shy? No, you haven’t.
And why should he be? Especially after he and his brother, Mike, have not only reinvented the Bridge bar but resurrected its roots, too, back to a time when live music echoed down Main Street. And now that the establishment has reopened after enduring more cosmetic surgery than most Hollywood movie stars, the Carl brothers are again scheduling their favorite local and regional performers to play – RIGHT THERE – on the most traveled corner in his hometown.
And no worries, Doug’ll shake up something festive for ya …
At what age did you and your brother, Mike, start talking about the dream of owning a really cool bar in downtown Wheeling?
I spent nearly 30 years living in Atlanta. My brother, who remained in Wheeling, would travel down to Nashville, and we would meet for extended weekends. We always found ourselves at the same haunt, Robert’s Western World, known for its honky-tonk music. So, the daydreaming of owning a similar tavern where we could listen to music, have a few beers, and share some laughs began. I always felt that I would return back home to Wheeling.
The majority of my family remained in the area and my parents were still here. So, we started looking at buildings in downtown Wheeling around 2006. Then in 2016, we bought the building that houses the Bridge Tavern. Now, we knew the dream was to own a tavern, but taking on a building of the size to renovate, well, that was just a “bonus.” LOL!
We decided early on that we would create living space for ourselves in the building and operate the tavern below. So, it’s kinda like a “Carl Commune” over here.
Are you the “recipe guy”? Is your brother Mike? Who? And why?
Ahhh, the recipe book.
Let me just say I watch a lot of classic movies like Bogart, Davis, Tracy, and Hepburn, and inevitably there’s always a scene that involves cocktails like the Stinger, or The Bronx … which got me to thinking, I’ve never heard of these cocktails. So, let’s do some research.
My curiosity about classic cocktails stems from those 1940s movies. So, yeah I like to research cocktails and if it’s something that strikes my pallet, I’ll bring it into the tavern.
One of the fun things for me is introducing a cocktail with its backstory to our patrons because every cocktail has a story that needs to be told.
Is there anything connected to the Cleveland Browns in the Bridge Tavern & Grill, or did the complete makeover eliminate all of that memorabilia?
When we took over the Bridge Tavern in 2019, the one thing we were very mindful of was not to lose the warmth and charm of the tavern. A lot of that comes from the memorabilia on the walls which we have retained. So yes, amongst the various memorabilia there remains, a classic Cleveland Browns lit sign hanging in the same corner where it’s been for over 30 years.
My brother and I now smile each time we glance at that sign as it reminds us of our dear friend Andy Carey who was a serious Browns fan. The Bridge memorabilia now not only retains the familiar pieces that folks have come to recognize and appreciate but also memorabilia that pays tribute to our dad and friends who are now saving us a seat at the ultimate bar “upstairs.”
How’s that streetscape project treating y’all these days?
What streetscape project?
There is no doubt this extreme infrastructure makeover has created challenges for businesses, pedestrians, and traffic, but we try to remain positive knowing the end game will be a true game changer for downtown Wheeling.
We have had a good experience working with the road crew out in front of our building. They discuss with us the plans for our corner and try their best to take into account our business flow and to make sure that our doors can remain open. And, as a bonus, many of the road crew come in for lunch and I’m not mad about that.
Where did you learn all of that bartending mastery?
Mastery?
Well, that’s a generous term to use. Like I said, I research cocktail recipes and do my best to re-create them with my own little twist of this and that too to make it a “Bridge” version. Mike and I are often asked where we learned to make all these cocktails and we simply laugh and just say well, we’ve sat on the other side of the bar many a time.
We just like to have fun behind the bar serving drinks that people like or want to experience, but we do draw the line on blenders. LOL! We definitely want to distinguish the Bridge Tavern from a tiki bar.
