From 'biers' to bratwursts, Boeckling Club serves German grub

SANDUSKY — Raise a stein and toast to Sandusky's newest German-themed bar and restaurant.This past fall, Tom Bodner finished restoring a storied city structure on Columbus Avenue, formerly resided by George Boeckling (1862-1931), Cedar Point's former amusement park general manager.Tom Bodner finished restoring a storied city structure on Columbus Avenue this past fall. It's now called the Boeckling Club.Respectfully named after its former inhabitant, the Boeckling Club, which opened a few weeks ago, houses:• An outdoor beer garden, set to debut later this year.• Private offices for local businesses.• A large gathering space for parties, dances, events along with enough space for upcoming cornhole and euchre tournaments.• A side-by-side lodge and pub, where visitors can gather and enjoy German fare, ranging from soft pretzels, sauerkraut balls along with a variety of sausages, ranging from bratwurst to knackwurst. People can also guzzle down a draft "bier" on tap or order other adult beverages in the domestic, craft, porter and stout categories. "I'm very happy with how it turned out," said Bodner, who spent the past year rehabilitating the structure. The tasks included scraping deteriorated paint, applying a new six-color elastomeric architectural coating, refinishing wood, repairing the stucco facade and constructing a new sidewalk and handicap ramp.The Boeckling Club's large gathering space features cornhole boards.For his efforts, Bodner won a 2017 P.R.I.D.E. award, a distinction given out by Sandusky's government honoring property owners who either made significant improvements or superbly maintained their land. Bodner, a 1970 Sandusky Central Catholic School graduate, spoke about the dual personal significance of this project."As an architect, I have had interest in historical preservation for a lot of years," said Bodner, who's worked as an architect for about 40 years and co-owns city-based firm Bodner & Kerik Architects.And on the German aspect: "I want people to experience Sandusky as it was 50 years ago when there were a lot of bars and taverns that served food in a family-style atmosphere," he said. "I want to bring that back. Sandusky has a strong German heritage, and there really aren't any German establishments here."The Boeckling Club is located at 614 Columbus Ave., Sandusky. It's open from 5-10 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays in the winter and available for private events.Tom Bodner stands next to the bar at the Boeckling Club on Columbus Avenue in Sandusky on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018. The bar serves German-style food.Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel.Tom Bodner throws a bean bag, as part of a cornhole game,on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018, at the Boeckling Club in Sandusky.