Mikado is set to open in Oak Bluffs on April 1; Red Cat Kitchen to move into former Oyster Bar 02557.
A pair of new Oak Bluffs restaurants headed to Circuit avenue pledge to be just that, restaurants and no more.
Both Mikado, a Vineyard Haven restaurant that plans to open a new location in Oak Bluffs on April 1, and Red Cat Kitchen, a downtown staple that’s relocating, assured the select board Tuesday that they will not have any disc jockeys spinning hits nor will they become nightclubs after diners have finished their meals.
The select board, which has wrestled with the town’s nightlife scene in recent years, approved the restaurants’ license applications after hearing the promises.
Chef Ben DeForest plans to reopen Red Cat Kitchen in his former Oyster Bar 02557 on Circuit avenue, which closed along with the Cardboard Box last year. The new iteration of Red Cat Kitchen will be similar to the old one on Kennebec avenue.
“The difference will only be in scale because we are going to a larger building,” Mr. DeForest told the board. “I can assure the select board, I’m not a night club or a de facto night club...I can tell you we are not going to have any DJs there, we are not going to have any bands.”
Mikado made similar promises after the select board voiced reservations earlier this month about proprietor Xi Yu’s plan to have an after-dinner bar and nightlife scene at the restaurant. After talking with the town’s police department, Mr. Yu revamped his business plan to stay open as a restaurant through 12:30 a.m., something the board was pleased to hear.
He did ask to have the occasional events or live band, requesting it be allowed once a month. There was some consternation about the single day a month that Mikado could have live music or events. Board member Jason Balboni worried that it could coincide with busy summer holidays and other events, though that concern seemed assuaged as Mr. Yu would be running under the same occupancy limits no matter what was happening inside Mikado’s doors.
As part of its approval, the board required that they be given at least 14 days notice of any events.
“We’re not going to have a DJ,” Mr. Yu reiterated.
Comments
This is great news! Glad to
Tom OBThis is great news! Glad to see Red Cat coming back and Mikado coming in. We little to no restaurant options in the winter. We need to support year round businesses.
Congratulations to Chef Ben
JAMcNary VHCongratulations to Chef Ben Deforest and team!! so excited to have Red Cat back, and I know the new space will be fantastic!
When did live music become a
Robert LoyotWhen did live music become a thing to be avoided?
It’s strange to think of Oak
Islander MVIt’s strange to think of Oak Bluffs as divorced from entertainment and live music. Are these folks sure they represent Circuit Ave? I find it odd that a town that has such a rich history on that storied street is now clamoring to create some kind of change to a boring, staid atmosphere. Congrats to the restaurants, however. My comment is directed at those making the decision to approve. Happy to see island businesses and business owners thrive.
Add new comment