Aug

More to the Townhouse Bar & Grill Than You Might Think

As I mentioned in one of my previous articles, one of my favorite restaurants in Emeryville is the Townhouse Bar & Grill. Since that article was posted, I’ve learned a whole lot more about the long and colorful history of the restaurant. I think it’s worth sharing for a whole new perspective when you go.

The building has actually been around since 1926 when the first owner, Frank Mesnickow, built the western themed hangout. He managed to make it through the prohibition era (not foodquote sure how he did that), but then rented it out to a guy named Joe Vernetti in 1936. Vernetti kept the place for about forty years and maintained its reputation as a popular neighborhood hangout.

At that point it was sold to Tom Wenaas and Jim Carnitato, who started hiring live musicians to come entertain at The Townhouse. I hear there was even a CD made of some of the performances called “Townhouse Live”. The building just got better with time.

Then in 1989, the current owner of the restaurant, Chef Ellen Hope Rosenberg, bought the Townhouse and decided to change things up a bit, all in the name of keeping with the times. She decided to get rid of the dark hangout vibe and added some elegance and warmth to the place. The Townhouse now has a new bar, lots of light and lots of flowers. The menu also went through a change (for the better I think), and it gets rave reviews across the board from both new visitors and the “regulars”.

It’s also worth mentioning that the Townhouse is a great choice for a party venue. There’s a dining area that seats over 100 people (a few less if you want to add a band and dancing), and the party can move outside too with the new patio.

townhousefood On top of all that, if you enjoy jazz, they even have live Jazz on Wednesdays and Thursdays. All this, and it’s just a stone’s throw away from Oakwalk.