The rise and fall and ??? of Red Dragon Pub.

I'm fairly well attuned to the local food and drink community, but the rise and fall of Red Dragon (Main Street) seemed to occur entirely off the grid.

January 3

We had a good lunch at the Red Dragon Pub.

February 13

Red Dragon Pub remains open, but Red Dragon Pub's restaurant is "temporarily" closed.

At Red Dragon's inception, Caitlin Bowling offered a preview at Insider Louisville, but I missed it. She shed a bit of light on ownership and motives.

Roughly six weeks ago, I glimpsed an on-line real estate listing for the building and business, but the price was so ludicrous that it quickly passed from view. At about the same time during nice weather, tables and chairs appeared on the sidewalk by the pub entrance, effectively blocking the path for wheelchair users, but before I had the chance to investigate, the furniture disappeared. Perhaps this is when the pub ceased operations, or maybe a city official actually did his or her job.

What does it all mean? I know as little now as I did in January, and at this point, it probably doesn't matter.

Red Dragon Pub remains open, but Red Dragon Pub's restaurant is temporarily closed.

After an Indie Fest meeting at Big Four Burgers on Thursday evening (kudos to Big Four for its gargantuan Buffalo Chicken sandwich and a tasty Daredevil Lift Off IPA) I was walking home and noticed that Red Dragon appeared only half open. It was dark on the left and lighted on the right. The posted sign explains why.

It has been suggested to me that the cited remodeling actually involves a menu refit, but I can't verify this. It may be worth noting that during the restaurant's brief run to date, the question I've been asked most often is this: "Is it a Chinese restaurant?" It isn't/wasn't, but the question itself might tell us something about what the name seems to imply.

My unsolicited opinion: A Welsh-themed, quasi-Irish-style pub.

Anyway, do you know something? If so, tell me about it. Why should Insider Louisville get all the scoops?

We had a good lunch at the Red Dragon Pub.

On Saturday morning, I found myself suffering from a strange malady with symptoms not unlike a hangover.

Nah, couldn't be.

Lacking access to state-of-the-art IV-drip/oxygen/vitamin "cures" -- bizarrely unapproved by my insurer, and anyway, it couldn't have been an actual hangover, simply couldn't -- I decided on a walk with the missus in the sunshine and light chill, and in conjunction with a single origin espresso at Quills, this provided welcomed relief.

We were hungry, and decided to try the Red Dragon Pub, recently opened and flying below the radar at 145 E. Main (between Pearl and Bank). The all-ages dining area is the space formerly occupied by Cafe 27. The bar area had a brief life in 2014 as Devil's Rock, though it should be stressed that the interiors have been redone, and are connected by a doorway.

It's an establishment even Dan Coffey could live with, if he cared about downtown.

We shared an Ulster Breakfast and a fried oyster, clams and shrimp entree. These were well prepared, and the pricing is appropriate for the reasonable portions. The entire menu can be viewed at the Red Dragon Pub's Fb page, and there's something there for everyone, ranging from prime rib and pizza to bangers & mash and beef stroganoff.

Beer preview: No draft yet, and limited bottles. Our server said the word "light" quite a few times, with Boddington's and Samuel Adams being perhaps the only "exceptional" choices. However, it's early in the game, and hope springs eternal. I'm available as a consultant, you know, and am eager to work for rolled oysters ... which also are on the menu.

Next time, I plan to eat in the bar, order one of  the more oblique menu items (gołąbki, eh?), and have a Sammy. Until then, if you go, let us know how it went.

Red Dragon Pub is very responsive on Fb thus far, and you can check there for further updates.

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.