One Thirty Eight Cocktail Lounge

Class-act cocktails and tapas at Harbor Springs’ coolest new hot spot

By Eric Cox | Aug. 14, 2021

When Steve and Victoria McDiarmid were considering ideas for a new Harbor Springs restaurant, their love of excellent cocktails made with premium ingredients was foremost in their minds.

The couple envisioned a subtle but classy joint where they could showcase parts of their extensive whiskey collection, a place where both unique and time-tested compotes could be quaffed by discerning guests … a place where people could start and end their evenings in style.

That’s exactly what they got when they opened One Thirty Eight Cocktail Lounge, on the northwest corner of 3rd and State streets in Harbor Springs. Once the home of Collins Corner Cafe and Johan’s Pastry Shop, the location sat vacant last winter. The moment the McDiarmids saw the For Lease sign, they went to work developing their concept.

The building owner, after considering a number of other proposals, selected the couple’s offer. Fast-forward a few months, and the McDiarmids opened their doors in July, realizing a longtime dream for both.

Leaning on Steve’s 25-year restaurant career, in which he’s accrued an impressive resume, along with Victoria’s self-description as a “home chef who subscribes to way too many cooking magazines,” the McDiarmids said they are excited to welcome guests into their new establishment.

They describe One Thirty Eight Cocktail Lounge as a whiskey-forward restaurant featuring small plates, tapas, and other gourmet appetizers. We were invited to an invitation-only tasting in which we were served five small plate menu selections.

Since cocktails are a mainstay of 138 Cocktails’ offerings, we also chose three drinks to accompany our victuals.

Victoria, whose full-time job is with a national pharmacy company, said the restaurant’s menu derives from those very cooking magazines to which she subscribes.

“We wanted [the menu] to feel very comfortable and familiar,” she said. “We’re certainly not avante garde or adventurous. We’re more modern, with a fresher take on some old favorites.”

To carry out their vision of upscale comfort tapas and small bites, they hired Chef Rosie Bellanger, who’d worked at a Beard Award-winning eatery in metro Detroit called Lady of the House, which succumbed to the pandemic. Victoria credited Bellanger with helping breathe fresh life into the chosen recipes.

“Some are hers, some are mine,” Victoria told Northern Express. “Some are mix of both. It’s really just a mix of both of our recipes. But, she’s the one who makes it all come to life for sure.”

And live it does.

The first course in our tasting session yielded a tiny iron skillet with short strips of utterly sinful Candied Maple Bacon ($12). These thick, meaty strips of Plath’s bacon were slathered, but not drowning in 100 percent Michigan maple syrup. Lightly peppered and cooked with care, the melt-in-your-mouth morsels paraded a decadent balance of sweet and savory.

Each glorious bite satisfied a curious longing for something at once sweet and salty. And when the sodium side won out, I reached for my delicious Ward 8 cocktail ($12). A Prohibition Era drink, the Ward 8 employs a quality bourbon (Evan Williamson 1883 Small Batch), lemon, orange juice, grenadine, and simple syrup. Expertly combined by Steve McDiarmid, the drink is tart, potent and refreshing – the bourbon’s bite bashfully bowing out to the fruity sweets.

The Ward 8 is a fantastic sipping drink, though it tastes good enough to gulp. Another gulpable bit of delightful goodness was the small plate of Roasted Oysters in Bloody Mary Compound Butter ($16).

Like the accompanying cocktail, the oysters were good enough to gulp but tasty enough to chew and savor. Served on the half shell, sprinkled with tiny chives, and cooked in that gorgeous, criminal compound butter, each meaty morsel fired onto our palettes a hearty salvo of tomato-ee, seafood flavor. The remaining shells — brimming with a delicious liquor equally packed with buttery flavor — were quickly poured down the gullet, as one would drain a shallow, craggy shot glass.

Next on the tasting menu was the Village Salad ($14), a hearty bowl of fresh, chunky vegetables drizzled with creamy Greek dressing. This salad has a decided Mediterranean feel with its chickpeas, feta cheese, red tomatoes, and kalamata olives. Cucumbers, red onion, and fresh herbs round out the mixture, and most of the produce is locally sourced, according to Steve.

The salad’s satisfying crunch led to the Ward 8’s regrettable demise. But another drink beckoned: the Smoke Up Johnny ($12), which offered a unique, fun, and tasty twist on the age-old and still embraced Old Fashioned cocktail. The mixers are added to the glass, along with ice. However, the bourbon is placed in a tiny crystal flask, into which thick hickory smoke is introduced. Swirling the liquor inside the cloudy flask enhances the whiskey’s smokey flavor. The longer one swirls, the more smoke flavor is imparted, putting a new and interesting twist on a decades-old cocktail.

Sharing space on the table with Smoke Up Johnny was the tasting’s main course: Crab Cake Sliders, an item that isn’t currently on the menu, but one that was nonetheless tasty and satisfying. Two quality slider buns — caramelized on the grill to a toasty perfection — enfolded a crispy crab cake patty topped with crunchy Japanese pickles and a whisp of slightly spicy Sriracha mayo. The vinegary pop of the clever pickles, combined with the creamy pink mayo, made this dish alone worth the trip.

The entire event was capped in an extremely satisfying way. Having depleted the smoked Old Fashioned and devoured the sliders, it was on to dessert, which came in the form of Cookies and Milk ($9). Half as thick as a hockey puck and even larger in diameter, these two homemade brown-butter chocolate chip cookies came straight out of the oven and were paired with a small cup of ice-cold dairy milk for dipping.

The sweetness of the chocolate melded with a final cocktail — the Whiskey Smash ($12), which will undoubtedly become a local summer favorite. Lemon juice, simple syrup, mint and excellent bourbon pull this drink together in top form — a supreme nightcap.

While this place doesn’t technically "do entrees," an individual or a couple could easily make a meal out of a few small plates. That’s why the McDiarmids think of One Thirty Eight Cocktail Lounge as a place to both start and finish an evening. They envision a place where people can enjoy pre-dinner cocktails and snacks; have a full meal elsewhere; then return to the Lounge for end-of-evening fare.

Some of the other menu options include lighter offerings such Naan and Hummus ($9), Fried Chickn n’ Waffle Sliders ($12), Pimento Cheese Beef Sliders ($14), the Dilly Melt ($14), Potato Donut with Matcha Cream Sauce ($10), and a Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich ($6).

A variety of other cocktails are available as well — all $12. Whiskey Flights, featuring both well-known and exotics selections, are also available. The Economy Flight is $15 and features David Nicholson 1843, Old Tub and Bower Hill Reserve. At the other end of the spectrum, the Private Flight costs $50 and includes samples of Blanton’s, Michter’s 10-Year Single Barrel, and Kentucky Owl Confiscated.

The lounge even has a flight club, which patrons can join for a $125 annual fee, which earns them a personalized whiskey flight board and other perks.

Boilermakers ($8 whiskey-beer combos) are also featured and include, among others, the Buttermaker (Coors Banquet and Nicholson 1843), the PB & J (Pabst Blue Ribbon and Jameson), and Grandad’s Ham (Hamm’s and Old Grandad).

While One Thirty Eight Cocktail Lounge has limited interior seating, there is also ample outdoor dining space on both the front and back of the building. The McDiarmids plan to be open year-round and will offer a rotating, seasonal menu. Carry-out is available, and reservations are not required.

Find One Thirty Eight Cocktail Lounge at 138 W. Third St., in Harbor Springs. www.138harborsprings.com