New College Hill restaurant Fork & Fennel is now open

Fork & Fennel, Schane Gross’ new restaurant at 3425 E. Douglas, is now officially open.

Gross, who also owns The Anchor and Douglas Avenue Chop Shop, had a soft opening last week but is now ready for the masses.

The restaurant, which specializes in cuisine with a French flair, is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, serving the full menu from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and bar snacks and drinks from 10 p.m. to midnight. It also offers a happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. daily, which will feature $3 drink specials.

The restaurant is in a former Taco Tico building that Gross remodeled on the inside and out. It includes a patio where the building’s drive-through once was, where Gross plans to grow a garden that will stock the kitchen and also will offer space for outdoor movies, private patio dinners for big groups, beer dinners, Sunday brunch and more.

Following are a few highlights from the food and drink menus:

DINNER:

Fork & Knife Creekstone ribeye, grilled and served with grilled bread. Finished with choice of finishing butter (blue cheese, garlic and wild mushroom or bone marrow)

Mushroom ravioli, served with wild mushrooms, piave cheese and fresh herbs in a tomato fennel broth with grilled bread

Lapin au Vin and Coq au Vin, served with choice of rabbit or chicken braised in red wine sauce with wild mushrooms, pearl onions and pork belly and served with charred rapini and roasted potatoes

LATE-NIGHT BAR SNACKS:

Marinated feta

Pickled shrimp served with crostini

Goat Cheese whipped with roasted red peppers, served with crostini

Tear & share baguette, served with a sweet and savory butter

White anchovy crostini

SANDWICHES:

Fork burger, Red Wattle pork belly and Creekstone ground sirloin served with bib lettuce, red onion and tomato

Rabbit bacon bomber: Topped with apple slaw and served on baguette with spicy brown mustard

Porchetta: Slow roasted pork loin, pork belly and crispy skin served on an egg bun ladled with pork jus

COCKTAILS:

Bramble: Aviation gin, sparkling wine, fresh lemon and blackberries

Fish House Punch: Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, brandy, green tea, fresh lemon, sparkling wine

Fig Bourbon Cocktail: Knob Creek, fig jam, fresh lime

This story was originally published October 28, 2014 at 10:22 AM.