Via 313’s Anticipated Whiskey Bar Adds New Bar Manager

The Detroit pizza-slinging Zane and Brandon Hunt behind Via 313 are getting into the bar game with Nickel City. For the East 11th Street bar, the brothers hired a new bar manager, J.R. Mocanu, formerly the beverage director of Vox Table.

There is an extensive whiskey library in the works for the casual neighborhood bar. The menus will span from the never-changing classics menu (think daiquiris, Manhattans to more obscure ones like Remember the Maine). Then there are signature cocktails and seasonal ones. To test out Nickel City’s cocktails, Mocanu plans on hosting pop-up previews at other Austin bars, in the near future.

Mocanu’s excited about implementing special guest bartending pop-up program, where out-of-Austin mixologists can set up shop within the bar, dubbed Cash Only, for one-off events.

Also joining the Nickel City team is Mocanu’s Vox Table colleague Ty Yi. Taking Mocanu’s place at Vox Table and its Mexican sibling restaurant El Burro is Madelyn Kay.

Attached to Nickel City will be food truck Delray Cafe, which will dish out Detroit-style dishes stemming from the Midwestern state, like Coney dogs, sliders, cheese fries, fish fries.

The Hunts took over the space that used to house longtime bar Longbranch Inn, which closed last fall. The name Nickel City refers to Buffalo, New York.

• Via 313 Branches Outside of Pizza With New East Austin Bar [EATX]
• All Coverage of Nickel City [EATX]