click to enlarge - Jordan Barry ©️ Seven Days
- Boudee Luangrath (left) and Adrian Sackheim of the Other Half
After a three-year hiatus, the bar beside Mr. Mikes Pizza in Burlington will reopen in late spring. When it does, the former SideBar will be an homage to longtime Queen City hot spot Half Lounge — which, like SideBar, has been closed since March 2020.
Former Half Lounge owners Boudee Luangrath and Adrian Sackheim have teamed up again on what they're calling the Other Half. Phase one of the bar at 202 Main Street — opening as soon as possible — will consist of drinks and live music. After a renovation to add a kitchen in the bar's former sound booth, the owners will partner with a local chef to serve a full food menu.
Sackheim, Luangrath and Aaron Chiaravelotti purchased Half Lounge, a tiny night spot on the Church Street Marketplace, in May 2017. Luangrath and Chiaravelotti also owned the adjoining Main Street businesses. Previously connected by a large barn door, they're no longer associated: Luangrath sold his shares in Mr. Mikes last fall, and Chiaravelotti sold his shares in SideBar to Sackheim.
Half Lounge regulars will recognize the DJ lineup and staff at the Other Half, the co-owners said. The loungey bar will also offer familiar signature cocktails such as the gummy worm-garnished Zissou and the Velvet Glove, made with blueberry vodka, peach schnapps, lime juice, apple cider and Champagne.
"We're calling it the Other Half so people can still say, 'I'm going to the Half,'" Sackheim said. "[Half Lounge] was a Burlington staple, beloved by the community with a loyal following. We just want to keep its spirit alive."