Stone Balloon name returns to downtown Newark

By Josh Shannon
The Stone Balloon is back in Newark – in name, at least.
After a year and a half as 16 Mile Taphouse, the restaurant below the Washington House condominiums is once again known by what is arguably Main Street’s most famous moniker.
A sign bearing the new name, Stone Balloon, went up earlier this month.
“It’s a known brand on Main Street,” Ricky Nietubicz, administrator of the Downtown Newark Partnership, said. “I’m thrilled to see the name and the brand return.”
The original Stone Balloon opened in 1972 and became well known for its Thursday Mug Night promotion and its live music, which included performances by Bruce Springsteen, Metallica and the Dave Matthews Band.
The legendary bar closed in 2005, and the Washington House luxury condominiums were built in its place. The Stone Balloon Winehouse, an upscale wine bar and restaurant, opened on the first floor of the Washington House in 2009.
In the summer of 2013, the restaurant partnered with 16 Mile Brewery Co. in Georgetown and changed the name of the eatery to 16 Mile Taphouse, keeping its wine list but adding a greater focus on craft beer and lower-priced gastropub fare.  READ MORE…