The last time Around Town saw Chris Neil, he was busy pouring wine for guests with his attractive wife, Caitlin, at a charity function for terminally ill children.
There he was again Thursday with alcohol in his hands, except this time it was beer from Central Bierhaus, a new Bavarian-inspired gastro-sports pub in Kanata owned by him and his friends.
Neil is a popular player with the Ottawa Senators. While he may be a veteran of that team, he’s admittedly a “rookie” at running a beer house and sports hall. Some of his 10 partners really know the biz, though. “It’s been a fun experience for me,” he told Around Town at the grand opening party.
As a tip of the helmet to teammate Chris Phillips, the new pub is serving some beer from Phillips’s Big Rig.
Out to support Neil were Sens president Cyril Leeder and coach Paul MacLean, both of whom liked what they saw. “It’s a really interesting, cool spot,” said Leeder. “It’s different: beer and bratwurst.”
Ottawa Senators president Cyril Leeder and his wife, Lydia, were out on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2014, to support the grand opening of the Central Bierhaus gastro-sports pub partly owned by Sens player Chris Neil.
Ottawa Senators head coach Paul MacLean and his wife, Sharon, were out on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2014, to support the grand opening of the Central Bierhaus gastro-sports pub partly owned by Sens player Chris Neil.
From left, servers Kurt Baker and Mitch Cole served up some bratwurst on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2014, at the grand opening of the Central Bierhaus gastro-sports pub in Kanata.
West-end city councillors Allan Hubley (Kanata South Ward) and Marianne Wilkinson (Kanata North Ward) attended the grand opening party on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2014, of the new Kanata gastro-sports pub, Central Bierhaus, partly owned by Ottawa Senators player Chris Neil.
That’s one large-sized soft pretzel being held by Chef Chris Juneau on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2014, at the grand opening party for Central Bierhaus, a new Bavarian-inspired gastro-sports pub in Kanata.
From left, Coun. Allan Hubley, Mayor Jim Watson and Coun. Marianne Wilkinson presented a framed certificate of congratulations on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2014, to Ottawa Senators player Chris Neil and his co-owners of the new gastro-sports pub, Central Bierhaus, in Kanata.
Melanie Desjardins gets ready to serve these two large mugs of beer to customers at the grand opening party for the new Kanata gastro-sports pub, Central Bierhouse, on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2014.
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