After hosting a series of pop-ups at what used to be Buns & Brews, a new bar Two Truths has opened, turning the Short North pop-up into a permanent spot. General Manager Adam Singh started the concept, a speakeasy-type lounge named for a ritual of Egyptian mythology.
With a degree and background in marketing and communications, Singh has rebranded and restaffed the space at 1205 North High Street, ultimately developing Two Truths. Months before their opening, the popups — private parties requiring a password for entry — paid the rent, provided training opportunities for staff, and got the word out about the new bar. Since then, Singh has considered the bar soft opened, sending rumblings first through the service industry community.
Its inspiration, a religious myth dreamt up by the Egyptians, describes the path of the soul after death.
“When you die, your heart is weighed against the Feather of Truth, or the Feather of Ma’at. If your heart was found heavy with wrongdoing, you essentially weren’t granted access to the afterlife,” Singh explained. “So, if you were found heavy with wrongdoing, you were eaten by this beast that was part lion, crocodile and hippo — the three biggest man-eaters they knew. And that took place in the Hall of Double Ma’at, or the Hall of Two Truths.”
Aiming for that speakeasy vibe, Two Truths has no TVs, offering shelves of books instead, on restaurants, cocktailing, religion, counterculture, and anything else that suits Singh’s fancy. Their cocktail menu is executed by Mike Schaaf, who gained his experience at Brothers Drake Meadery.
“Now he’s spinning shaker tins, doing tricks, throwing ice behind his back, lighting stuff on fire — he’s really having fun with it, and he’s the bartender on point, so when guests come in, they see Mike doing all his flair, and he’s kind of like the spectacle behind the bar,” Singh said.
The bar has focused on cocktails as they slowly acquired their kitchen equipment. Singh is planning an entirely electric kitchen with no hood, but instead an electric flattop and convection burner. It’ll create his menu offering a new kind of late night dish.
“One segment of the market that we’re trying to fill, that there’s a void right now, is late night breakfast,” he said. “I’ve kinda gone around and prodded the market and seen what people think, and as soon as I say late night breakfast sandwiches, the jaws drop and they start salivating.”
Available within the next month, Two Truths’ menu of breakfast sandwiches, as well as small plates, charcuterie, pickled vegetables and more, will be carried out by chef Derick Smith, who hosts his own Instagram cooking show.
For more information, visit their Facebook page.
Photo by Miriam Handler, fairieslol.com.