It took countless months of careful and thoughtful preparation, but Ridgewood’s Flying Fox Tavern has officially opened its doors to the public. The tavern, which boasts a classic horror-theme officially kicked things off January 5, a soft opening the featured recipes put together by co-owner and chef, Chad Johnson, coffee, tea and, topically, Liquid Death-branded water.
While the Flying Fox may still be waiting on a pending liquor license, and BYOB service is not currently allowed, Johnson still boasts a diverse menu that includes a variety of mocktails tasty enough that you don’t quite even notice (the lack of) alcohol, as well as starters like oysters and french onion soup, courses that include shepherd’s pie and vegan haggis and a few sandwich selections for vegans and carnivores alike, including a fried tofu sandwich and an eight ounce burger. Vegan desserts, sticky toffee pudding, chocolate black forest cake and seasonal fruit crumble, all years in the making from the bar’s other co-owner, Tracy Bradbury. Coffee comes from Variety Coffee Roasters and tea is also available. Specials over the past month included: brisket French dip sandwich, New England clam chowder, and a vegan focaccia with mushroom pate. The bar also has an online platform up and running with an accessible menu for meals enjoyed from the comfort of your home.
But if you choose to head in, the tavern features unique artwork from a variety of independent artists, including the folks at Ridgewood’s own Artistic Neon Inc., down on Cypress Avenue, who took the tavern’s bat logo, itself created by April Choitz, and brought the illustration to life in glittering lights. Tim Kellen, creator of numerous monster head sculptures and drawings, also has a piece of his own on display in the tavern; it consists of creepy black crows, further setting the bar’s whole horror themed scene.
There are exciting events too, like the Burns Night Supper, which came with a three-course dinner complete with vegan options and mocktail pairings, poetry readings by Harlan Short and a pipe performance by Rich Callaghn. The bar is also staying true to their classic horror, showcasing both the 1922 and 1979 versions of Nosferatu on projectors within their first few days of opening. Also on the projector over at the Flying Fox: showings of Christopher Lee Dracula movies, The Addams Family and other werewolf themed films.
The next big event at the Flying Fox are twos four-course prix-fixes, one with meat and one vegan, and which comes in the form of $60 Valentine’s Day dinner they’re serving a little early: Saturday, February 12. That menu will be announced later in the week. Reservations are encouraged via email at [email protected] or via Instagram. The first ten reservations will receive a special Valentine, custom designed by Marianne Crow Acuna.
Flying Fox Tavern is open Wednesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and is located at 678 Woodward Ave.
Featured image is an outtake of co-owners, Chad Johnson and Tracy Bradbury, taken by Jeanette D. Moses for the Bushwick Bar Babes 2022 calendar. You can buy one of the calendars here for $25 a piece.
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Very good! 😀