They’re not on social media. There’s no signage out front. And when I say this is an underground establishment it’s literally underground, as in subterranean.
Catacomb435, or Catacomb for short, is a sexy, 1920′s speakeasy-influenced, recent addition to downtown Huntsville nightlife.
It’s the latest venture from Stephanie Kennedy-Mell and Matt Mell. The Mells are the restauranteurs/married couple behind Church Street Wine Shoppe, upscale eatery Purveyor, self-serve suds spot The Corner Pour and rooftop bar Pourhouse.
Catacomb is located in the basement of Downtown Storage, address 100 Jefferson St. N. For now, Catacomb by-reservation-only bar. You can make reservations via tableagent.com or by emailing hello@churchstreetfamily.com. They’re open 5:30 – 11 p.m. Monday to Wednesday and 5:30 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. Thursday to Saturday.
Catacomb435 in downtown Huntsville. (Matt Wake/mwwake@al.com)
After making reservations, you’ll receive a password. Proceed to the Downtown Storage building, the side that’s across the street from local roaster Kaffeeklatsch. To the left of the Redstone Federal Credit Union ATM, you’ll see a door and to the left of the door there will be a red fire call box. Open the box and press the buzzer that’s inside the box.
Catacomb435 in downtown Huntsville. (Matt Wake/mwwake@al.com)
A Catacomb bartender will answer and ask for the password. Reply with the password, that night’s might be something like “drop a dime,” or some other 1920s slang. The bartender will buzz you in. Open the door and descend down a couple flights of stairs. To the right, you’ll see a wall covered in dictionary pages mounted underneath Plexiglass. Find the three circled words on the dictionary page wall to tell the bartender, once you’re inside Catacomb, to access that night’s “secret drink,” such as a smoked black Manhattan.
Catacomb435 in downtown Huntsville. (Matt Wake/mwwake@al.com)
The door to Catacomb435 is to the left. (The “435″ in the business name is the unit number it’s located in, within Downtown Storage.) Inside this basement bar, it’s cozy. Like 500-square-feet, efficiency apartment type cozy. The mood’s sultry. Dark walls, big band music wafting overhead, tufted chairs and couch, a vintage painting of sea nymphs. There’s an upright piano too. And a wall-mounted TV that plays black-and-white movies. “A lot of people feel like they’re coming down here and stepping back in time,” Kennedy-Mell says. On the west side of the room, there’s a couple old fashioned coal chutes, and legend has it slaves used those chutes to access the “underground railroad” back in the day.
Catacomb435 in downtown Huntsville. (Matt Wake/mwake@al.com)
So yeah, vibe is a big part of Catacomb. Handcrafted cocktails are too. Catacomb offers personalized cocktails called “dealer’s choice” where a guest picks a couple flavor profiles and bartender Matt Ortega, whose been with Purveyor for about two-and-a-half years, will custom build a libation for you. Like smokey drinks? Ortega might work with scotch or mescal and add flavor with smoke from sage, applewood, hickory or oak. More a fan of clean, crisp cocktails? Ortega dials up a spirit-forward libation accented with fresh mint, coconut water or the juice from a prickly pear cactus. Want a drink with an earthy feel to it? Now we’re talking chamomile syrup or sugar snap pea syrup in the mix.
Matt Ortega and Stephanie Kennedy-Mell at Catacomb435 in downtown Huntsville. (Matt Wake/mwwake@al.com)
Contemporary consumers are used to personalization in their music and video streaming, so a personalized cocktail concept is in-tune with that. “That idea of hitting that customer’s palate is really awesome,” Kennedy-Mell says.
Personalization has its price. These drinks are in the $15 to $20 range. So what does a drink that costs 20 bucks in Huntsville get you? Fresh and handmade ingredients, for one. Fresh squeezed juices. House-made syrups and shrubs. Dehydrated fruits and vegetables are dehydrated in house. Ortega says, “It’s hard to make a bad drink when you have fresh ingredients, you know?” Plus, you’re getting the time and expertise of Ortega, who developed a passion for handcrafted cocktails from experiences at farm-to-table restaurants, creating that one drink. Just for you, right then and there. If your drink contains orange juice, he’s squeezing that orange for you, for that particular drink. “It’s like a test kitchen for cocktails,” Kennedy-Mell says. “A bartender’s playground.”
Catacomb also offers classic cocktails (like an old fashioned, vodka tonic or Jack and Coke), wines, craft beers (including a specially-made Church Street Triple) and single barrel bourbons. They have exotic spirits, such as an artichoke flavored liquor, too.
In normal times, Catacomb’s capacity would be around 30 people. During the pandemic, it’s about half that. Doing numbers is essential to being a viable business. Still, Kennedy-Mell believes Catacomb is the right concept for right now. “People are looking to get out of the house, they’re looking for something different.”
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