The "it's five o'clock somewhere" sentiment rings true at Obladee (1600 Barrington Street) these days—you no longer have to count down the minutes until 4pm for the doors to open here. After four years in the game, the downtown wine bar decided it was time to make a change, and amping up its menu to include daytime eats was the first step.
"We both really love food, and we both really love simple food," says Obladee's Heather Rankin of she and her brother/co-owner Christian's drive to do lunch. "And simple food doesn't need to be boring. As long as you're using great ingredients you don't have to complicate it." Obladee by Day offers up light, fair-priced fare that's focussed on local and seasonal ingredients that you could pick up at the market—a selection of sandwiches, soups, salads and daily specials is now available from 11:30am-3pm Monday through Friday. While newly hired chef Yailen Munoz and Melissa Rankin will whip up the midday meals, Obladee's staff is also being trained by Java Blend's Jim Dikaios to perfect their espresso skills.
"There's a whole group of people who exist downtown during the day, and then leave when it gets dark to go home," says Rankin of Obladee's aim to not only offer its regular customers more, but appeal to the lunchtime crowd that's new to the bar as well. "We're servicing that middle ground between a grab-and-go lunch counter and a full sit down restaurant."
And though quick and easy is the goal, for folks on a too-short lunch break, the great wines and craft beers you'll find at Obladee by night flow when the sun's up too—so long lunches are very welcome. Encouraged, even.
