Nightlife news & notes

Almost three years after brewpub bastion Town Hall Brewery opened Town Hall Tap — the Nokomis area sister of the original Seven Corners pub — founder Pete Rifakes is about to add a third tavern. His new bar and bowling alley, Town Hall Lanes, will be ready to roll July 19 in the former Skylane Bowling space, less than three miles from Town Hall Tap. The new bowling-laned location will feature Town Hall's acclaimed beers, such as Masala Mama IPA.

Last weekend, Pride goers got a mini preview of the restaurant replacing Joe's Garage in Loring Park. The still-gutted space was open to imbibers and fried oyster eaters during the festival, as somewhat of a pleased-to-meet-you event for future seafood joint the Triton. Owner Joe Kaplan ended Joe's run in March and has tapped Butcher & the Boar chef Jack Riebel as a culinary consultant for the new project. Riebel said the oyster-bar-to-be is slated for a fall opening and will have a beverage program emphasizing "clear spirits."

Bellied-up guests at Borough no longer are the only ones who get to watch its bartenders' shaker-rattling show. Last week the North Loop restaurant unleashed its months-in-the-making cocktail-cart program. Mobile mini bars now allow barkeeps to take their drink-making tableside, adding another element to the dining experience. The red-hot restaurant's downstairs bar, Parlour, is featured this month in Playboy magazine, which includes it among the "Best Bars in America 2013."