Hull & High Water is winding down, so go over there and say goodbye.

As I reported earlier at Food & Dining Magazine, Hull & High Water is winding down. Owner Eric Morris made the announcement earlier today at Facebook. 

Apparently the restaurant will be closed today and tomorrow, reopening on Wednesday and running through product until it's time to stop, perhaps in a few days. 

It's your chance to stop by, have a drink and a bite, and say a proper goodbye. Eric brought a lot of energy downtown, first with Gospel Bird and then Hull, and I'm sure you'll join me in wishing him the best in his future endeavors. 

I'm saddened, but my guess is this commercial space won't stay empty for long. 

LIVE TO EAT: Southern BBQ comes to Hull & High Water tonight.

Last week Eric Morris revealed an urge to smoke meat at Hull & High Water.

Hull & High Water announcement: "On top of our seafood menu, we have now decided to launch a full Southern BBQ program."

Now he says the time has come to make the BBQ available to the dining public.

"Our new bbq line starts tonight and I promise you it is top notch. We had people literally work from 2pm to 4am just to hang out with the smoker to ensure proper temperature, quality of smoke, product rotation, etc... ALL the love went into this and you can taste it, that I promise!"

Eric also scored some good PR at the website called Only in Your State:

This Nautical Restaurant In Indiana With Riverfront Seating Is A Waterfront Wonder.

Gospel Bird is closed TODAY for renovations, but will be open on the bar side with food for the remainder of the week.

Take note that Gospel Bird is closed today (Tuesday, January 2) for renovations.

However,  Eric Morris tells NA Confidential it's only temporary.

"We'll probably be open the rest of the week (after tonight) but just on the bar side only. So long as we leave a path to bathrooms for the guests."

Food will be served in the bar as renovations proceed.

"It'll be a full interim menu -- a mix of old and a little new."

For more: Eric Morris talks about his plans for Gospel Bird in the New Year.

Also, see Dana McMahan's in-depth article in the C-J.

'Quality over quantity': Gospel Bird restaurant to close in January for menu, decor reboot, by Dana McMahan (Courier Journal)

New lighting, new wood floors to replace the old terrazzo, greenery, and new paint will all serve to make for a warmer, more inviting space. He hasn't settled on paint colors yet, but color there will be, Morris says.

The zinc bar and tables in the bar will remain but in the dining room the tables will be topped with black cloth (serving a dual purpose of complementing the softer new look and dampening sound, which is severely needed, Morris says).

But this makeover is about more than cosmetics. The very approach of Gospel Bird is changing, inspired by Morris' passion for an ever-evolving menu ...

Eric Morris talks about his plans for Gospel Bird in the New Year.

Yesterday at Facebook, Gospel Bird's owner Eric Morris previewed a forthcoming remodel and reboot of his restaurant at 207 E. Main Street in New Albany.

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Beginning in January, Gospel Bird will be shutting down for a week or two for a BIG remodel.

We want to thank you for your support over the past two years, and can't wait to show you what we have in store. Not only will the overall aesthetic be updated, so will the food, cocktails, and wine program.

In striving to be as progressive and welcoming as possible in this industry, we want to continue to bring fun and unique food and drink options to downtown New Albany. This will include an ambitious standard of printing your menus daily with a constant rotation of fresh dishes that not only portray the talent of our team but also the amazing food our local farmers work so hard to produce.

Our new menus will challenge our chefs even more as we lean towards a made-from-scratch standard utilizing only fresh food, fresh herbs, and a zero waste policy. All food that comes through our door will be utilized in respect to our farmers and the environment.

Please stay tuned for all updates and thank you again for your support!!!

-team gospel

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Earlier today Eric expanded on this, via a chat with me on Fb Messenger.

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We will have a lot of new small plates options with a world influence. The wine selection will get an upgrade, and entrees will change week to week. The Gospel Bird staples (the yardbird, shrimp and grits, thunder thighs) will still be served on Whiskey Wednesday. 

Just to make it a little more clear, we want to stay competitive and cutting edge in an industry that is becoming over-saturated. We feel like the way to do that is to serve people food that we feel very passionate about, with no limitations. Some of it will be adventurous, and some you will recognize, but by trimming down our menu it allows us to focus more on each dish, from where it came from to how it is prepared.

Our service to our guests will also see a huge upgrade as we educate them as well.

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Based on previous conversations, I can say with certainty that Eric's been thinking about his past involvement with Ten Tables:

"In its original incarnation, Ten Tables was a location-rotating dinner club hosted by chefs Dustin Staggers, Eric Morris, Ethan Ray, and Griffin Paulin."

Back in 2014, Kevin Gibson surveyed the concept here: Ten Tables creates a buzz no one, not even the chefs, expected.

Ten Tables was a pop-up, both in terms of location and menu. In short, you put your name on a waiting list, and were called to attend. You'd know the menu only upon arrival. Daunting for some, but a sheer delight for others.

Obviously, Gospel Bird will not be a reincarnated Ten Tables. But the influence of Eric's experience at Ten Tables is his belief that diners want to try new and inventive things.

In my view, New Albany is fortunate to have food and dining professionals who believe our scene is evolving, and who are willing to evolve with it. Differentiation is good, so stay tuned; there'll be more as Gospel Bird moves forward.

A few views from Hull & High Water's soft opening. Regular business hours begin on Thursday at 4:00 p.m.

Hull & High Water is located at 324 E. Main Street, and if you've been around long enough to recall previous incarnations of this building, be prepared for bedazzlement. Steve Resch always does quality work, but this one is something special. Note the interior "fish tank" art, courtesy of David Thrasher. The long haul begins tonight ...

THE BEER BEAT: Hull & High Water is only days away, and it has me all playful about beer lists.

Hull & High Water at 324 E. Main Street in New Albany should be open for business on Friday, and it would be an understatement to suggest the anticipation is palpable.

While I'm generally skeptical about the ability of "business" publications to get relevant aspects of culture right -- usually there's too much dollar-sign fetishist-speak for the benefit of the clueless moneyed classes -- this preview is fairly good.

INSIDE LOOK: Hull & High Water restaurant finishes its nautical-themed digs, by Bridgett Weaver (Louisville Business First)

Garrett Petters said that often when people think of going to seafood restaurants, they think of spending a lot of money.

But his goal with his new restaurant, Hull & High Water, is to be more like a coastal seafood shack — offering good seafood at an affordable price.

"When you go to the coasts, there's a lot of seafood shacks. We wanted to bring seafood back to the normal people," Petters said. "To take it back to where it came from."

I caught myself wondering what sorts of wine are to be sold at an inland seafood shack, then began trying to remember when (or even if) I've ever ordered wine at a seafood restaurant of any sort.

Everything about Weaver's piece screams "beer," and precisely because not a soul has asked me, here are a few ideas for a solid, nautically-and-aquatic-themed beer list. It isn't real, and I have no idea what you'll find at Hull in terms of beer, although there'll be "craft" choices.

At the same time, no gimmicks. These are fine beers, every last one of them. Some (including me) might quibble with corporate owners like Constellation Brands and Sapporo, but they're not AB-InBev, and I'm just having fun without thinking too much about the credentials of the choices.

Off the top of my head, I'm not sure if there are any locally-brewed beers with an appropriate name ... unless Falls City decides to make Calliope Hoppy Pils year-round.

It would rock a seafood menu as the go-to Pilsner draft choice.

Otherwise, leading off, Ballast Point Brewing Company gets a whole category to itself, given that ...

From day one, Ballast Point’s philosophy has always been doing what we love, and making what we love to drink. So, naturally, we named the beers after something many of us love almost as much as brewing—fishing. Today, many of the beers are named for fish or fishing terms, and the labels have fish on them as a reminder to always do what you love.

I'd have Anchor Steam on draft, and push it hard. It's amber but lighter-bodied than many "craft" beers, with more flavor than most mass-market carbonated waters masquerading as beer, and entirely poundable at 4.9% abv.

If available on draft, Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter would be delightful, too. Dogfish Head's 60 Minute IPA could be a hoppier choice, or perhaps Bell's Two Hearted Ale (see Big Two Hearted River, a short story by Ernest Hemingway).

Baltic Porter as a style category is named for the Baltic Sea, and Zwiec Porter from Poland in 16.9-ounce bottles is one of the best imported beer values going. Maybe Hull & High Water could keep some herring around, just for me.

For higher gravity Belgian-derived styles, there's Brigand (brewed by Van Steenberge) and Piraat (brewed by Van Honsebrouck), both from Belgium. in a similar vein from Canada: Unibroue Don Dieu (also Maudite and Raftman), all with imagery of ships, boats and such.

For dessert after a few oyster shooters and the catch of the day, why not Rogue's legendary Old Crustacean Barleywine, pulled from a secret stash somewhere on the premises? It's a coastal Oregon classic.

One of my eastern seaboard favorites is Shipyard Export Ale, from the harbor town of Portland, Maine. It is described as a North American Blond Ale, though I detect the founding English influence. Beer Advocate hates this beer -- which is another reason to seek it out; in April while in Portland, I consumed one with a lobster roll. It was perfect.

I'll stop there, cognizant at having omitted countless choices. Feel free to offer upgrades to my faulty memory in the form of comments, and best wishes to Garrett, Eric Morris and the rest of the team at Hull & High Water. I'm in post-holiday detox, but will make it down sooner or later.

The pace of buildout has increased at Hull & Highwater, and soon it will be July.

These photos harvested from Facebook capture recent progress toward completion of the Hull & Highwater buildout. The most recent photo is at the top, and the oldest (April) placed last.

It's yet another Resch Construction project. When does he sleep?

For those just tuning in (where have you been, anyway?), here's a glimpse of the future at 324 E. Main, formerly WE Studio, according to Hull & Highwater's page at Fb.

Hull & High Water never Flounders on Service and Quality! You are soon to be Herring our Name Around Town. Remember, The World is Your Oyster so, stop on in just for the Halibut!

Earlier this year, Dana McMahan (C-J) provided a slightly more conventional overview.

Hull & High Water will offer a middle ground for seafood that (owner Eric) Morris said diners are looking for in the Louisville area.

“There's plenty of greasy fried fish houses, which are fine,” he said. "And you have Seviche and River House but there's nothing that falls in between like a casual, fun place. There's none at all in New Albany, and we're on the river. I've had people come into Gospel Bird and say 'I'm so glad you're opening this.' ”

The restaurant will offer a raw bar with oysters, peel and eat shrimp, and signature items like lobster pot pie, Morris said. Fried or blackened fish sandwiches or baskets will also be on the menu.

It will offer "all that fun stuff you get when you go out with your friends for a bucket of beer," he said.

As for an opening date, look for early July.

Gospel Bird's Eric Morris nixes Concrete Jungle concept, opts for seafood, seafood and more seafood at his new restaurant at 324 E. Main in New Albany.

Right here. 

Speaking from personal experience, it's preferable to be comfortable with your concept before the money's all spent.

With this in mind, I saw a Facebook post ...

 ... and after chatting with Gospel Bird's Eric Morris, he offered this generously detailed and updated summary of what's to come at 324 E. Main. It was to have been an eatery and craft distillery, but as Eric explains, there has been a change in direction.

However, I couldn't coerce Eric into telling me the name of his (and Garrett Petters') forthcoming seafood restaurant, so we're going with Working Title until further notice.

Take it away, Eric.

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For the past few months, I’ve been working on a new restaurant in New Albany, to be housed at 324 E. Main Street in a post-WWII commercial building just a block down the street from Gospel Bird.

I love the space, and the restaurant’s still going to happen, just not exactly the way we’d imagined. Here’s an update for 2017.

Most importantly, I’ve decided not to go with the original idea, which was going to be called Concrete Jungle. Mixing genres with global street food tasted great in theory, but it’s an ambitious concept, and in all honesty it defied every effort to build a menu capable of doing it justice.

At the same time, it’s been a wonderful experience getting to know the city of New Albany, and being a part of its continued growth at Gospel Bird. Taking all these lessons into account, I’ve decided to shift gears

So, what’s coming to 324 E. Main Street in 2017 is (WORKING TITLE), a fresh seafood grill with a raw bar, including a rooftop bar overlooking the Ohio River.

Think of it as a comfortable niche between fast food and the high end. It’ll be a family-style approach and a very casual place, with most dishes served in baskets and buckets, with a price point to match. The same goes for great beers and the sort of bar program you’d expect from us.

There’ll be crab legs, ceviche, and peel and eat shrimp from the open-kitchen raw bar. From the back kitchen, expect fried, blackened and broiled fish platters, ahi tuna dishes and mussels, as well as staples like lobster bisque, clam chowder, crab cakes, lobster croquettes and smoked fish spreads.

We’re planning on three types of grilled oysters: Fernet Branca Rockefeller, roasted garlic and habanero, and Thai chili with sesame.

A signature line of fresh seafood from either Honolulu Fish Company or Bluefin Seafoods will enable unique chef-driven items like a blackened grouper Reuben sandwich, lobster pot pie, halibut cheeks, frog legs and gator.

We’ll also offer non-seafood options: Smash burgers, chicken, nachos and dips.

I’d also like to introduce my new business/managing partner Garrett Petters, a New Albany native and Providence High School graduate whose extensive work history with seafood includes Whole Foods and Doc Crow’s Southern Smokehouse and Raw Bar. Most recently, Garrett helped open Brooklyn and The Butcher, our neighbors in downtown New Albany, and he was General Manager both at Doc Crow's and Brooklyn.

Our licenses and permits are waiting for the build-out, and Resch Construction will be starting soon. Stay tuned for further details, and we hope to see you in downtown New Albany soon.

Gospel Bird update: Mid to late February opening date as pieces fall into place.

Photo courtesy of Gospel Bird.

I was chatting with Gospel Bird's owner Eric Morris earlier in the week, and as so often is the case with regulatory issues, there was an entirely inconsequential glitch (about dates and paperwork) with his first local Alcohol & Tobacco Commission hearing. It's all good, but will delay the opening briefly.

He provides this update. The restaurant will be located at 207 East Main Street in downtown New Albany, and Gospel Bird's Fb page is the place to go for more frequent news.

A little updated summary: The opening is going to be pushed back to mid to late February as we wait our liquor license. The menu has been finalized by myself and Ethan Ray. We want to make it known that the theme and menu, though drawing from Southern influences, isn't just a Southern restaurant as such.

We will have a few Southern staples such as apple cider and ham hock collard greens, roasted cauliflower grits with country ham and vanilla bourbon-butter, and variations on chicken (rotisserie, fried, etc), but we are not limiting ourselves to only Southern dishes and ingredients.

There will be a wide variety of options sort of showcasing influences from past workplaces, and what we are passionate about in general. We want Gospel Bird to be a place that people can afford to eat a few times a week after work and also make a fun special occasion dinner. Tables are being handmade by the David Metcalf of wooden-wire co., and I'd say about 50% of the equipment has been purchased.

Recently Eric "teased" the brunch menu.

**HINT** There's going to be a build-your-own buttermilk biscuit menu with multiple proteins, gravies, veggies, and heat levels to choose from!! See ya soon!

Gospel Bird lowdown at Insider Louisville and Facebook.

Visit the Gospel Bird page at Facebook

As a follow-up to Thursday's post ...

As the Gospel Bird build-out nears completion, the restaurant now is a Morris solo gig with Ethan Ray as acting executive chef.

 ... Steve Coomes (Insider Louisville) provides more information about the advent of Gospel Bird.

Restaurant Roundup: Huge chef shuffle, all-day breakfast, death to bourbon’s black market

 ... Morris moves on from Epic Sammich Co.: Eric Morris, chef at Epic Sandwich Co., has left the Highlands Avenue sandwich shop to focus solely on his new venture, Gospel Bird. Originally, Insider Louisville reported in November that Epic owner and chef Dustin Staggers also would be involved in Gospel Bird. However, Morris now says the upcoming Southern restaurant in New Albany will be a solo venture ...

The restaurant's long description at Fb:

Gospel Bird focuses on southern roots paired with modern talents and twists that will truly make your dining experience a memorable one. Eric Morris (previously of Loop 22) brings some old and new favorites to your table all prepared by local culinary legend Ethan Ray and his band of experienced and passionate cooks. We will have a full bar with rotating beers on tap and a fun and creative cocktail menu.

As the Gospel Bird build-out nears completion, the restaurant now is a Morris solo gig with Ethan Ray as acting executive chef.

Today on my way to coffee, I happened upon Steve Resch, and eventually wandered over to 207 - 209 Main Street to check on his build-out of the forthcoming Gospel Bird restaurant.

We welcome Staggers, Morris and the Gospel Bird with open arms and our senseless one-way streets.

Liftoff is scheduled for mid-January, with the rear outdoor patio to follow at some point before Derby. Later in the day, Eric Morris adjusted the restaurant's operational narrative, saying he wanted "New Albany to know first."

I just wanted to let you know that Dustin Staggers is no longer a part of this project and that I will be doing this on my own. Ethan Ray will be the acting executive chef. 

Thanks, Eric. New Albany is appreciative. As Kevin Gibson recently noted, Ethan Ray is a Louisville culinary legend, so I'm thinking the kitchen's in great hands. Noting that the former Parthenon next door is not slated to be connected to the Gospel Bird, here are two photos of work in progress. The west side will be the dining room ...

 ... and the east side the kitchen and bar.

Steve observed that they're at the stage of construction when things begin happening quickly, so stay tuned.

Parting glass: We recently took a look at previous occupants of the Bader Building's commercial space.

The Gospel Bird is coming, so let's remember what preceded it in the Bader Building and Parthenon.

We welcome Staggers, Morris and the Gospel Bird with open arms and our senseless one-way streets.

Others among us recall it as Connor's Place.

Do you remember the businesses previously located in this spot?

I've known about this project for a while, but was pledged to silence and kept the vow. Someone owes me, but make no mistake: The Gospel Bird is big news for downtown New Albany's dining scene.

The new and expanded Bread and Breakfast will be only a few steps away at Underground Station, as will Ian Hall's Brooklyn and The Butcher at the corner of Bank and Market. Another new watering hole about to open is the Red Dragon Pub, located on Main Street in the approximate space formerly occupied by Cafe 27.

The story is folded into IL's Monday morning business tout, so click the link and scroll down. Just imagine the multiplier effect of these business start-ups with a functional street grid.

Louisville chefs head to New Albany to open their next restaurant, by Caitlin Bowling (Insider Louisville)

Chefs Eric Morris and Dustin Staggers are heading across the river for their next concept.

It’s been a whole two months since the Staggers crew opened its second Epic Sammich Co. store, so it was about time for them to announce a new venture.

Here it is: Tentatively called Gospel Bird, the restaurant will be the love child of Morris’ Loop 22 and Staggers’ time at The Monkey Wrench. Gospel Bird is a term for fried chicken that is eaten on Sundays, the traditional church-going day.

The menu will feature dishes including butter beans, rotisserie chicken, cauliflower grits, chicken-fried rabbit and Brussel sprouts. It will cover the South, from the Appalachian Mountains to the low country to New Orleans and hints of Florida — and include some ingredients from New Albany’s farmers market.

“We are just trying to make country food,” said Staggers, noting that all the fried items on the menu will be fried in a cast iron skillet.