Ever since Ex Novo Brewing announced that they were taking over the former Firestone garage at Seventh and Central downtown, just about everyone has been waiting with baited breath as to how it would look when it’s finished, how it would feel, how it would bring some needed class and change to a much-maligned part of town.

Four of us in the Crew got a first-hand look at the new spot Wednesday night, invited to a friends-and-family soft opening. There were other brewery reps galore, from Canteen to Bosque to Steel Bender to Sidetrack to Marble and quite possibly more over the course of the evening. Mayor Tim Keller was even there with his entourage, and everyone played nice, which is rare in this charged political climate. The good vibe of this place even stamped out that.

The main taproom/dining area was fully operational, as was the cocktail bar/whiskey lounge/speakeasy upstairs. The outside patio is mostly finished, while the lunch deli/breakfast coffee bar is not ready quite yet.

Oh, but we digress, the most important thing for all of you is when this glorious place will be open to the general public. Ex Novo will be announcing that, so for now we can only say soon. Good things will come to those that wait.

Dave was taking lots of pictures, Andrew was eating lots of food, and AmyO and I let them do just that. I was only there for less than an hour on my dinner break from my other media gig, and could not enjoy a pint as a result, but I managed to do a quick walk-around.

The main room is bright and airy, with a high ceiling and some lovely lighting fixtures. It’s bright and inviting. There’s a lounge to the right of the main entrance, a U-shaped bar that sits dead center as you walk in, and dining tables that can combined for big parties or separated for smaller groups.

Getting the kitchen going, and that flow from back to front, is always a challenge, but honestly, the staff handled it with aplomb. They were humble and at times apologetic when something took six minutes instead of five, but everyone was courteous and as quick as they could be. The food was tremendous as most of our group tore through the small plates/appetizers, finishing with some dessert as well.

I attempted to devour the Jumbo Fried Chicken Sandwich, which more than lived up to its name. It was an amazing piece of engineering on the part of Chef Marc Quiñones and his team, not too salty/spicy, but still flavorful. The chicken was cooked perfectly, the breading was great, and now if that undersized bun could only have held out. Keep your knife and fork handy.

The upstairs bar is a darkened delight, with low ceilings and a chill vibe. The crowd noise from below did not overwhelm anyone up there. Whether at the bar, a tall table, a lounging chair, or a booth tucked away in the back, we figure this will be a hugely popular spot for anyone and everyone who appreciates such places.

General manager Sean Lewis has assembled a heck of a team. The staff was professional and on point, even as they are all learning how to work that flow from all points of the joint. As we have said many, many times before for new breweries/taprooms, PLEASE be patient, PLEASE be kind, and they will learn and adapt and be up to the high standards we all have for our favorite places in town. That said, this group should be firing on all cylinders pretty darn quickly.

I have said more than enough, so here are AmyO’s thoughts on Ex Novo Downtown:

“Ex Novo basically means “from scratch.” Although they didn’t build the entire thing from the ground up, the new Ex Novo taproom on 7th and Central downtown does not feel like anything was repurposed at all. The site used to house a Firestone Complete Auto Care. That is all in the past.

“Even though there are garage-style doors which will be great to have open once the heat dissipates – holy hell, let it happen soon – the space is expansive, shiny, and wonderful. It is also unusual in the best way.

“The main floor houses the taproom, which also has a full bar and plenty of other seating, including very comfortable chairs. That is not always the case in a taproom. The southwest portion of the bottom floor of the building is still under construction and the plan is for a coffee shop and deli area. Upstairs is a dark, seductive, and swanky cocktail bar area. The outside patio is sizable with plans for fire pits.

“I did wish they would have had some of the barrel-aged and anniversary beers on tap for Wednesday’s soft open night (one of a few they have done), but the beer was still Ex Novo quality. Perusing the varied and upscale menu, you will see that there are suggested beer pairings for the items. Nice touch.

“Speaking of the food … Chef Marc Quiñones knocked it out of the park. Later in the evening, Chef circulated through the large crowd receiving well-deserved accolades. Crew members Stoutmeister, Andrew, AmyO, and her partner Dave tried the giant chicken sandwich, patatas bravas, whipped burrata salad, and green chile corn risotto. Everything hit just right. After Stoutmeister had to leave for a work commitment, the rest of us decided we had to try dessert, an eggnog cheesecake that was incredible.

“There were a few service hiccups, but that is to be expected in a new place. Here is hoping that this type of space, long yearned for in downtown, can help bring life and positivity to the area that has struggled so much in recent years. Good on you, Ex Novo, for being all in!”

Yeah, that about sums it up. We will have much more on this location in the coming weeks. In the meantime, keep monitoring all the Ex Novo social media pages for that opening date information.

A huge thanks to Joel Gregory, Sean Lewis, James Gregory, Stevo Jeter, and Caroline Kosciusko for all the information, and of course for the invitation to the soft opening. We tip our hats to all of you. What a job all of you, and Chef, have done so far.

Keep supporting local!

— Stoutmeister