Walton’s International Comfort Food is not the only trendsetter occupying the former Packard dealership building on Parrett Street. In November, chef Tim Mills opened Fidel’s Bourbon Bar and Cigar Lounge in the upstairs floor of the restaurant.
“Fidel’s, as of right now, has the largest bourbon selection in the Tri-State, next to Madeleine’s Fusion Restaurant (which Mills also owns) and the Miller House in Owensboro, Kentucky,” says Mills.
Providing a bar, billiards, and private room, the shelves at Fidel’s are lined with more than 100 bourbons. Bartenders offer premium bourbon and Prohibition-era cocktails to patrons, who can gather and relax in a lounge area reminiscent of the 1960s.
“All the chairs are out of the Scottish Rite building,” says Walton’s general manager Corey Jones. “All the hanging light fixtures are out of what I believe is the theater room in the Scottish Rite.”
These pieces highlight more interesting antique décor and neon signs gathered by Mills and his staff. Currently, Fidel’s offers only drinks, but Mills expects to have licensing to sell cigars by early spring.
“When we originally designed Walton’s, we wanted to put a bar upstairs,” he says. “Fidel’s is much different than downstairs. It is a little more upscale, but it also is set up for socializing. It’s made to come in, relax, and just enjoy yourself.”
The bar is open from 5 p.m. to midnight Thursday, and 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
For more information about Fidel’s Bourbon Bar and Cigar Lounge, visit facebook.com/FidelsOverWaltons.
