New for First Friday weekend: Crossroads cocktail bar; City Market game shop

Longtime Crossroads investors Ron Berg and his wife, Sheri Stamper, own a little building that has been home to several tenants — their own offices, other offices, a sneaker shop, a photo gallery.

But none of the uses seemed quite right.

Now they’ve tucked SoT into the space at 1521 Grand Blvd., a little cocktail bar with a 14-foot ceiling and a decor of “gritty glamour with a feminine touch.” A patio in back is shared with their Berg Event Space next door.

SoT stands for south of Truman Road, but also for an old British term for a habitual drunkard, they said.

It currently offers eight cocktails for $11 or $12, including The Clarified Milk Punch with macadamia nut, gin, black tea, elderflower and milk, and The Cold Brew Cocktail with Roasterie cold brew, bourbon, Velvet Falernum, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and sweetened condensed milk. It also serves beer, wine and champagne.

Small plates include roasted nuts, marinated olives, lamb meatballs, littleneck clams, crawfish toast and house-made ice cream sandwiches.

“With RecordBar across the street it just confirms the viability of the north Crossroads, which has been a bit overlooked by most people,” Ron Berg said.

City Market game shop

Brothers Shawn and Ian Davison have been hosting gaming events at area bars, arcades and restaurants for six months.

Now they’ve expanded the business with a new shop at 400 Grand Blvd., on the east side of the City Market.

Level One Game Shop sells more than 100 different games, specializing in board games, social games, trading card games, as well as pop figures, toys, T-shirts and hats.

After two weeks of operations, some of their top sellers are the Boss Monster: The Dungeon Building Card Game; Tsuro, a puzzle strategy game using tiles; and Game of Thrones, which takes two to four hours to play and has all the “diplomacy and backstabbing” aspects that have made the TV show a hit, they said.

“Or the Tales of the Arabian Nights storytelling board game where your story evolves. Maybe a genie helps you and then you run into a princess who robs you blind,” Shawn Davison said.

Although they grew up inviting friends over to play video games, they said people now play them online. So board games have become an excuse to invite friends and family over and share an experience.

Their next gaming event is scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday at the Opera House Coffee Food & Emporium, 500 Walnut St.

This story was originally published October 6, 2016 at 6:47 PM with the headline "New for First Friday weekend: Crossroads cocktail bar; City Market game shop."