A new bar in Williamsburg is embracing vinyl records to create the ultimate listening experience for its patrons.
Mr. Melo opened its doors to the community back in December, bringing a classic elevated listening bar format to the neighborhood.
“We wanted to open a listening bar/a community space for music lovers,” said Co-owner and Music Director Nate Ulsh. “We want there to be an element of accessibility and universality to this place.”
With speakers that Ulsh brought in himself, Mr. Melo lays out the vibes for vinyl lovers everywhere. With an extensive vinyl collection, there is something for everyone, and every weekend a DJ comes in and spins their own vinyl for the masses to enjoy.
Plus, with no cover charge (and a welcome shot upon entering), no one will be shut out from the full Mr. Melo experience.
“We don’t want to gatekeep our music. We want it to be a fun and open environment for anybody who enjoys dancing, enjoys listening, and just in general enjoys music,” said Ulsh.
One of the standouts of Mr. Melo is the bar’s Compost Cocktail program. Through the program, Mr. Melo takes parts of the food that would normally be thrown away and infuses it into the cocktails. For example, on the menu is a feta brine martini that uses, as the name suggests, feta brine to bring a dirty flavor profile to the drink, and a barbarita that infuses leftover smoked eggplant skins into the tequila for a caramelly-mezcal taste.
“Usually that would be thrown away, and instead we’re using it for something for a cocktail, which allows us also to get a little cheaper for the guests too,” said Co-owner and Food & Beverage director Nikolas Vagenas.
The bar also boasts a new twist on Greek bar snacks like House-made Potato Chips and Dip, Smoked Mussel Toast, a Crispy Eggplant Sando, and Drunk Greek Fries.
“I’m Greek, my family is Greek, I have family in Greece as well. I am really inspired by the food and I wanted to give a little bit of like an American twist because I’m Greek-American,” said Vagenas. “So we went with new Greek or new Greek-American. We want it to be definitely not a full-on restaurant but something that you could eat and have a full meal with, enjoy your time here, keep yourself sober so you can drink a little bit more.”
Mr. Melo is located at 61 Withers St. and is open from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sundays-Thursdays and from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, visit mrmelobar.com.
