Ted Wood plans opening of two restaurants Uptown
By Emily Hanheart, For The Miami Stuent
The restaurant scene in Oxford is adding a new contender in early April. Ted Wood is opening an all-things-sports restaurant with an Americana-style menu, complete with 15 different grilled cheese dishes.
Renovations for the new restaurant have been underway for the last few months, but Wood anticipates the opening to be around the timing of spring break. The corner space next to O'Pub is deceivingly small from the outside, but the split-level interior is the perfect space for a college town restaurant.
The old building was a roller rink in the 1930's where people were free to skate Monday through Friday, but Saturdays were reserved for dancing only.
The sports bar is the focal point of the restaurant where students and locals can come to cheer on their favorite sports teams to a victory. However, Wood stresses that he does not want the restaurant to be an extension of the late-night bar scene.
Wood is eager to get the restaurant up and running.
"We want to encompass a fun atmosphere with a venue that caters to locals, families and students alike," he said.
As for the menu, Chef Bement is striving for a local connotation with modern American food including burgers, fish entrées, salads and a wide selection of beer and wine. The prices will be reasonable and comparable to other Uptown restaurants.
The unnamed restaurant will also have an outside seating area, which is something most restaurants Uptown lack. The back patio is enclosed with a seven-foot tall wooden fence to create a relaxing backyard dining experience in the warmer months.
Wood has another project in the works at the former Smokin' Ox location. He bought the space in September and has been renovating it into a pub for students and Oxford locals. The bar will be called Corner Grill and Drinkery and will open before the sports restaurant in three to four weeks.