Absinthe Lounge Aims to Fill Late-Night Dining Void in The Cedars

The Cedars bar Absinthe Lounge hopes to soon have food to go along with its booze: Owner Kevin Christensen is joining forces with an El Centro College culinary program grad, Sarah Noelle Hendrix, to potentially add a "late-night grill" component.

A Kickstarter launched yesterday is working toward a $25,000 goal, which they say is to build a kitchen and outfit it with essential equipment like ovens, a grill, and a walk-in refrigerator. As for the food, Hendrix says she envisions a "farm-to-table" menu that changes with the seasons and includes "hand-made breads, pastas, and sauces." She also plans to add a rooftop garden to help supply the kitchen.

The Cedars area, already home to major entertainment venue Southside Ballroom and plenty of residential lofts, is certainly growing — Austin-based Alamo Drafthouse will open a two-story outpost boasting a patio with skyline views in the neighborhood come mid-2015, and former Windmill Lounge partner Charlie Papaceno is also planning a new bar there. As the Kickstarter points out, "there are only a few medium-priced restaurants nearby, including Cedars Social and Full Circle [Tavern], whose kitchens close at 10pm." With 44 days to go on the Kickstarter and only 1 percent of the goal funded, hopefully they can convince their neighbors that The Cedars has a late-night food void that needs filling.