The Alive wrote Aged to perfection
By Bryan Bullock
May 22, 2008
Between the Short North’s awning-capped boutiques and white-walled galleries lies a protruding sore thumb known as Mike’s Grill. The weathered juke bar hasn’t changed much since opening in 1939, but the area sure has.
“It was a rough neighborhood,” recalled former bartender Jack Frost. “There were fights in here all the time.” The bar’s longtime regulars, like 77-year-old Frost, can spin some tall tales.
Today, Mike’s Grill is a peaceful refuge. The bar has been passed down through three generations of the Gianikos family. As the neighborhood changed, the drinkery experienced a youthful surge of new regulars.
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