Sports pub landing in Glendale brings Midwestern flavor, by way of Highland Park
A little slice of the Midwest is coming to Glendale.
On Friday, the Greyhound, with its Great Lakes-style wings and beer, will launch its second location, this one in the Wine Vault building on South Brand Boulevard.
While the new location — under six floors of wine storage at 933 S. Brand — inspired the owners of the Highland Park-born sports bar to offer an elevated wine list (and oysters), co-partner Steve Williams said the new spot will retain the original spot’s casual neighborhood vibe.
“We do a concept and a service that is very approachable,” said Williams. “It’s a place people can go to three or four times a week.”
Most of the food offerings ring distinctly “comfort” and mirror the flagship location’s menu, which includes burgers, fish and chips, pizza and signature chicken wings. It reflects the down-home Midwestern origins of co-partner Matt Glassman, who founded the restaurant, Williams said.
What sets the Greyhound’s wings apart is a conscious choice to use smaller wings, according to Williams.
That increases what he described as the “sauce-to-meat” ratio.
“I don’t think most people would say that the rubbery meat on the inside is the best part of the wing,” Williams said. “The wing is just a vessel to get the sauce into your mouth.”
Despite the Midwest ethos, the Greyhound’s teams are local.
“What a great way to kick off the Dodger’s post-season,” said Jennifer Hiramoto, Glendale’s assistant director of economic development, who said she’s excited to see activity along Brand’s so-called “Boulevard of Cars.”
Philip Lanzafame, the city’s director of community development, agreed it’s good to see dining and entertainment options seep into neighborhoods and commercial areas where there’s less of a concentration of options.
“There’s lot of people who live around there and a lot of people who work around there,” Lanzafame said. “So we do want amenities to be spread out, so people [across the city] can take advantage of them.”
Instead of explicitly choosing Glendale, Williams said Glassman and fellow co-partner Ryan Julio were drawn to the 3,300-square-foot space, which happened to be where they stored their wine.
When the pair inquired about leasing the ground floor, it so happened that a catering business occupying half of it was looking for an exit.
That space has housed several restaurants over the years, including now-shuttered Cinnabar, Lanzafame said.
Acknowledging that Glendale is in many ways different from Highland Park, Williams said the local location will be a test of the restaurant’s adaptability.
“We’re ready to mold to what the neighborhood wants us to be,” he said.