The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

I can't answer your question, but the Urban Tulsa Weekly did a GREAT write up on the neighborhood not long ago:

http://www.urbantulsa.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A26686

Pretty cool setup a local family has in this area at 3rd & Kenosha...check out the blog for more pics:
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VMoJaK_36kg/TDOUEX2RQkI/AAAAAAAAFsY/Nt_mGTdWLTY/s640/35.jpg)

*I believe this is the building to the right of the proposed lofts in the rendering above.  Not sure of the current status of the lofts...

http://www.fifthfloorup.com/2010/07/club-skib-downtown-2nd-generation.html (http://www.fifthfloorup.com/2010/07/club-skib-downtown-2nd-generation.html)

I want to see the inside of the house, is there another gallery with those anywhere?  I just saw the pool and exterior shots.

I want to see the inside of the house, is there another gallery with those anywhere?  I just saw the pool and exterior shots.

Yeah it's on the blog.  Makes me wish I had more money and could do something similar.

Topeca president creates Hodges Bend: part coffee house, part cocktail lounge

All full-time employees of Hodges Bend will be trained and certified as coffee experts. TOM GILBERT/Tulsa World file
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By NICOLE MARSHALL MIDDLETON World Scene Writer
Published: 11/28/2012  1:54 AM
Last Modified: 11/28/2012  3:54 AM

If a combination coffee shop and cocktail lounge is your dream come true, stay tuned.

If all goes as planned, John Gaberino, president of Topeca, hopes to open Hodges Bend - featuring coffee, wine and cocktails - by mid-December. Gaberino's partner in the venture is Noah Bush, a certified sommelier and mixology expert.

And it's that sort of expertise that Hodges Bend will emphasize, Gaberino and Bush said.

"The education for employees is a huge aspect because if you go and ask for a cup coffee or glass of wine and that barista or sommelier makes a recommendation without really listening or understanding or knowing what the flavors are in the drink that he is offering, there is a disconnect," Gaberino said.

Gaberino said opening a coffee shop and lounge such as Hodges Bend has been a dream of his for about five years. But he didn't want to rush the venture until he was sure that he had gathered people with the proper education and expertise.

Bush is well-known in Tulsa as an expert in his field. The head barista will be Mason Remel, and all of the full-time employees are trained and certified as coffee experts.

"We are going to showcase what wine, coffee and cocktails can be," Bush said. "The whole idea of raising the bar on coffee is to show how it is very much like wine. They both have a place of origin, they both have varietals, and it all comes down to the processing or the wine making," Bush said.

Gaberino said the goal is to create an environment where the expectations are high so the customer is expecting excellence.

To do so, he said the equipment and the personnel have to be prepared. For example, owners have designed their own coffee-brewing system for Hodges Bend and custom-built the bar from the bottom up to suit their serving needs.

The decor is intended to be comfortable with an element of elegance, Gaberino said. And they have invested in a vintage record player with about 300-400 records.

Hodges Bend, which will be at 823 E. Third St., is named after the historical name of the neighborhood where the lounge is located, Gaberino said. The Hodges family included some of the original founders of Tulsa, and the area was named after them.

Hodges Bend will sell some foods such as pastries from their bakery and cheese platters to complement the coffee and drinks.

Another place scheduled for a mid-December opening that will mix full bar service with coffee and food is Phoenix Cafe, 1302 E. Sixth St.

Blake Ewing's Phoenix Cafe will make its own boiled bagels, as well as flavored mashmallows to make S'mores on table hibachis. Other food items will include sandwiches, panini and table fondue.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/article.aspx?subjectid=39&articleid=20121128_39_D1_CUTLIN872147

This is going to be a great spot.  Great people running it.

Hodges Bend, a combination coffeehouse and cocktail lounge, has opened at 823 E. Third St.

John Gaberino, who owns Topeca Coffee with wife Margarita, and Noah Bush, a well-known mixologist and sommelier, are partners in the venture. Mason Remel is head barista.

Hodges Bend is open 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. all week. Alcohol service starts at 11 a.m. daily.

"We are going to start with those hours and see how it goes," Gaberino said. "We might have to adjust some closing times, like on Sunday."

The wine selection includes nine whites, three sparkling wines and eight reds, most of which are not common in other restaurants and even most retail liquor stores. They are priced by the glass, ranging from $7 to $13.

Bush, who most recently worked at Doc's Wine & Food, has created a libations list featuring 10 signature cocktails, priced $9 to $11 and with names such as Tobacco Old Fashioned, Moonshine Derby, Moscow Muller and Tale Spin.

Hodges Bend, of course, has a full line of coffees and specialty coffee drinks.

Food choices include pastries provided by Margarita Gaberino, cheese boards and charcuterie (cured meats) boards.

A long carrera marble bar is the focal point of the room, which also includes easy chairs, sofas and custom-made banquettes.

I was pretty stoked until I noted the price on the cocktails. You still may find me drunk in the area from time to time, but with BYO liquor.

There is a construction fence and lots of activity at 1st and Lansing, the weird little triangle of land.  Is that a staging area for somewhere else or is something going in there? 

There is a construction fence and lots of activity at 1st and Lansing, the weird little triangle of land.  Is that a staging area for somewhere else or is something going in there? 

They are working on a bridge in that vicinity.  I suspect it is related to that project.