First Look: Flight Social, Opening Today Downtown

Flight Social opens today in former Chocolate Bar space downtown. Credit: Douglas Trattner

After roughly six months of work, partners Rob Ward, Jacory Stone and Tone W. are ready to show off the fruits of their labor. They will begin doing that tonight, when the doors to Flight Social (347 Euclid. Ave., 216-331-4080) open to the public for the first time.

The former Chocolate Bar space at the south end of the Arcade received a top-to-bottom freshening up, with new paint, lighting, bar tops and other interior improvements.

Since announcing the venture last spring, the partners say that the theme has been tweaked slightly from “aviation” to “travel.” Bartenders and servers are dressed as flight attendants, tabletop lamps can be tapped on “for service,” napkins are folded to resemble paper airplanes, and cutlery arrives individually wrapped.

The travel theme gives the kitchen unfettered access from which to draw culinary inspiration. Billed as “modern fusion,” the menu is a globe-trotting journal that includes dishes such as Asian spring rolls, Southern-fried calamari, Korean BBQ bowls, Irish fish and chips, and Caribbean jerk chicken.

Diners are encourage to indulge in delicious “flights” that blend four different foods in categories named Americana, Latin Street Food, Asian Fusion and European Grazing. The menu, adds management, will change seasonally.

The 100-seat dining room offers views straight down East 4th Street.

Flight Social is open for lunch and dinner every day of the week and live acts take to the stage every weekend.