Behold North Park’s New Bivouac Ciderworks

At long last, Bivouac Ciderworks opens its doors tonight on 30th Street. A special prix fixe menu for Farm to Fork Week will be available through Saturday followed by the launch of its regular dinner menu, with the imminent availability of house cider and other beverages.

The tasting room, cider house and restaurant was created by friends and business partners Lara Worm and Matthew Austin; Worm’s family has extensive experience in catering while Austin is a longtime homebrewer and cider maker. Designed by Tecture (George’s Level2 bar) in wood, steel and stone, the handsome 2500-square-foot space is inspired by outdoor adventuring; a row of climbing knots lines one wall while another is illuminated like a map of the night sky. The 61-seat dining room, which includes a swinging booth, is fronted by windows that will eventually open onto a sidewalk bar and patio.

Bivouac’s kitchen is a showcase for executive chef Danilo “DJ” Tangalin (JRDN), whose opening menu of starters, salads, sandwiches and entrees is primarily gluten-free and half vegetarian and vegan. Made to pair with cider, the dishes include cider-glazed wings, jackfruit sliders, oyster and pork belly tacos and pan-roasted trout. Dinner service is from 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, with happy hour and a late night menu forthcoming. Tangalin says he’s reserving Monday nights for pop-ups and guest chef collaborations.

Austin’s cider program, curated to offer a range of flavor profiles, includes an English pub-style cider, a tart blackberry cider, a salty pineapple cider and a West Coast IPA hopped cider. Available in flights, pints and growlers, the cider will also be distributed in kegs. Bivouac’s other beverage options will include guest ciders on draft, bottled ciders, craft beer, biodynamic wine and a cocktail list developed by Jesse Ross (Sycamore Den) based on cider and fruit brandies that includes a sparkling mix of dry cider and cassis, an Old Fashioned made with American brandy and a variety of daiquiris. Austin says that he’s planning on distilling their own fruit brandies, or eau de vies, and says that he should have cider in cans by Spring 2018.