Setting the Bar – The Eli

ONE-OF-A-KIND CULTURAL DESTINATION IN HISTORIC DOWNTOWN MONROE

THE ELI IS JAY HOWELL’S VISION AND ULTIMATELY A SHOWCASE FOR SOME OF HIS FAVORITE HAUNTS

By Vanelis Rivera

For Jay Howell, opening up a business and creating a brand incorporates all the things he loves about art, music, and design. “It’s like an album. If you kind of see it like that. The further you get down to it, it’s got a point of view. It’s got a certain time of way.” The Eli (as in Eli Whitney, inventor of the cotton gin) is owner Howell’s song he has written for himself. “This was probably the first time that I didn’t care to be honest with you, about what anybody thought,” Howell says, referencing his capricious design of the brand and space solely guided by his point of view. Though, a mischievous chuckle follows a short pause, the sincerity of the statement is a declaration of the bar’s identity—a one-of-a-kind “cultural destination,” upstairs from Restaurant Cotton in historic downtown Monroe.

Each room of the JS Block Building has its own personality, but for Howell the second floor front rooms have the best energy and he wanted to make sure that people soaked the history in. “I think it alters you a little bit different than downstairs or the back,” a “truer representation of the building.” Erected in 1893, the structure housed a bar for over-the-counter sales as well as a saloon in its heyday. After the close of the mail-order liquor business, the location was used as a general store, cafeteria, bookstore, and even a cotton exchange. This most recent chapter of the building’s history is unique in that it presents three co-existing stories in the form of Cotton, Planters Gastropub, and now The Eli.

Craving a space where conversation was a driving force, Howell began to focus on curating an “after five” environment that transcended the go-to bar or club scene. It’s easy to see how frequent travel and cocktailing expanded Howell’s tastes and influenced the creation of this new addition. He wanted The Eli to feel like a sliver of bars from prominent cities such as New Orleans, Nashville, and New York. Some of his decor nods to these places. One wall in particular showcases framed menus from his favorite haunts, like Bar Hemingway at the Hôtel Ritz Paris in France. Walking into The Eli feels like walking into another world, an illicit space you’re not sure whether you need a password to enter.

The furniture and art adorning the space is a hodge-podge of collectibles. “These lights right here,” he says, pointing to a brass reading lamp, “I just seek ‘em out. I go across the South and find ‘em.” Walls are decorated with black-and-white and sepia photographs of buildings and stone-faced portraits. A few old stocks and bonds are also framed. Wanting to keep an authentic feel of the building’s heyday, the furniture, most noted by Cabriole legs and varied wood accents, and magnolia-patterned wallpaper (by local artist Ashley Alford) resembles the Victorian period aesthetic. The final element of the space was facilitating customer conversations. “That’s a whole ‘nother dynamic,” Howell says. Furniture layout was carefully implemented in order to find the minutiae of the seating that would balance the intimate energy of the rooms, all while providing clandestine spots: “Monroe is a town that wants to be clabbered in, all kinds of together, but almost anonymous.” The Eli is not a place to stand up. It’s one of the aspects of his vision that has been challenging to get through to customers. “It ruins the vibe,” he claims. Sometimes you may have to wait your turn. Howell’s concern is the comfortability of those already seated, making sure their conversations are not interrupted by busyness. Ultimately, the necessary adhesive that maintains and controls the space’s magnetism is music.

Howell explored classics like early Marty Robbins and Hank Williams to add to the ambiance: “That’s what I want to listen to. It works for me and I think it’s going to make sense to everybody.” Then, he started going deep into what was already part of his music life—country music. He grew up listening to old school Americana, like Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, which made it easy for Howell to create Eli’s Afternoon and Eli’s Evening. These two self-explanatory Spotify playlists are distinctly flavored, catering to a specific mood. Eli Evening, which starts to play at 9:30 PM is more uptempo, featuring artists like Janis Joplin, Pink Floyd, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and the Alabama Shakes. “There’s a method to the madness,” he laughs.

To compose the bar’s drink menu, Howell went on a “cocktail spree.” After diving into books of mixed drinks from renowned bars like Death & Co. and The Dead Rabbit, he set up a bar at his house and “just went at it for probably six to eight months.” Historical classic cocktails were his main interest, selecting recipes that would be well received by Northeast Louisiana customers. “It became an obsession for a while,” he reveals. At times, he would make on average twenty drinks a night, inviting friends to come over for sampling. For field research, he traveled to the best cocktail places the South had to offer, not just for the drinks, but also for the feel of those spaces. Kyle Snellenberger from Ouachita Antique Woods carried out the vision for cutting the bar in, distressing the finished product to look a century old, and creating a fitting frame for shelves of specifically selected spirits ready to be made into any of the establishment’s fifteen riveting cocktails.

The best drink at The Eli is the Southside. It’s an historical cocktail made with gin, lime juice, simple syrup (house made cane sugar syrup) and mint, that Howell found in his “dustheap of bar books.” Gin was tricky to market to his friends, as not many liked that particular spirit.“Especially a man in the South,” he follows. But he quickly realized that gin is “a hydra, almost, that you can just attach things to.” The first time Howell had a Southside he was surprised by its whiff of bourbon, created by the muddled mint in the drink. That was the key to convincing his “bourbon, whiskey drinking aficionados” to sample the concoction. The only component missing was the sweetness, which became the standout feature of Eli’s Southside—the honey rim! One of the last drinks added to the menu became Eli’s top seller, the Amelia (Tito’s vodka, blackberry puree, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, and mint). It’s completely copied from Employees Only in New York. “It was just a taste and a flavor that I was not prepared for, wasn’t expecting it,” says Howell. While the Amelia has the essence of a female drink—the color a deep purple and its architecture topped with a mint leaf—it’s a slow burn. Howell has urged more of his male customers to taste the visually impressive drink and they’re always equally impressed with its flavor. What is that? “First of all, that’s two shots of vodka. Let’s start there, big guy,” humours Howell. “It has been quite interesting watching the macho guys to drink the old Amelia. It’s awesome.”

Though Howell wanted food to be an afterthought, their tapa-like selections are creative and delicious. Small shares include some Cotton favorites like the Duck Fat Fries (parmesan, fine herbs, pig salt, truffle aioli, and jalapeno ketchup) and the Duck Wraps (smoked bacon, jalapeno, cheddar, cream cheese, and local honey glaze). Sweet and sour flavors inspire the flatbread options: Duck Flatbread (duck confit, applewood bacon, smoked cheddar, cream cheese, jalapeno, and honey glaze) and Steak Flatbread (tenderloin, candied jalapeno, goat cheese, caramelized onion, horseradish, and arugula). On the hardier-side, their Butcher’s Block section includes a delectable charcuterie board of three meats, “fixin’s,” spreads, and crackers. Sweet-tooth customers are encouraged to try the Ice Cream Sandwich, made with in-house blackberry lavender ice cream, and drizzled with honey from the local Old Home Place Apiary.

About ten years ago, after seeing patients at his dentist office, Howell would come to the JS Block Building, crank up the generator, take his pneumatic drill and knock out all the plaster over the brick walls until about two in the morning. Then, with a hand dremel tool, he’d file the plaster between each brick. Even then, he recognized the zest in those rooms, and wanted to fill them with human connection, eased by the oil of conversation and our common bond. The Eli has a purpose and a point-of-view, one that celebrates community and culture in a haze of amber lighting and wistful tunes.

The Eli is located 101 N Grand St Suite A, Monroe, LA 71201. Visit them Thursdays between 4 PM and 10 PM and/or Fridays & Saturdays between 2:30-12:45 PM. Visit their website www.restaurantcotton.com.