Cellar Door, a new tavern in Michigan City, is the kind of place that looks like it’s been around forever. And in a way, it has. Save for a few years during Prohibition, the building has served as a tavern since the late 1800s.

Now, Michigan City natives Kyle Hutcheson and Spencer Herms have reopened what was most recently the Harmony Bar as not a typical wine bar, as the name may imply (more on that later), but a classic tavern with terrific food (including vegan options), an expansive wine list with affordable selections, and classic cocktails for just $13.

Cellar Door, on Franklin and Barker, is a friendly, open and airy space with classic booths, high tops and plenty of stools at a long bar, a meticulously restored Brunswick. The building, at Franklin and Barker several blocks north of the Uptown Arts District, dates back to 1891, and the owners are channeling all the history, with brass fixtures and photos of bygone Michigan City lining the walls.

Hutcheson and Herms, who met as students at Indiana University, left the area for some years, Hutcheson to work as a wine professional in Los Angeles and Chicago and Herms, at restaurants in Denver.

Now both married, they decided to move back to their hometown, where they have family and can enjoy a more affordable life.

Speaking of affordable: It’s nice to see a $50 bottle of French Champagne on the menu, as well as several bottles of wine under $40. And everyone is happy to have a gimlet or other classic cocktail for $13 (drink menu is here.) All wines are available for purchase to go as well, a welcome feature as there are few other options for wine in this part of town.

I visited with two vegetarians, who tucked into a marinated-tofu bahn mi ($17; pronounced sloppy but good, you can also order it with seared tuna) on a baguette from Publican, the much-revered Chicago bakery. The twice-fried fries are yummy and come with a choice of four sauces. Our friend liked her Mimosa salad, with edamame, camembert, pickled onion, mint and pistachios ($13). There’s a grilled chorizo and Korean fried chicken sandwich, too (each, $17). WE shared a lemon blueberry dessert accented with basil whipped cream and fresh mint–outstanding. See the entire food menu here.

Cellar Door is divided into two rooms; in the back is a more casual games space called The Rumpus Room, with original signage from the Harmony and classic pinball and bowling machines. This room leads out to a smallish patio and deck space.

About that name: Hutcheson told the NWI Times that “Cellar Door is a literary reference that’s been attributed to J.R.R. Tolkien about how cellar door is the most beautiful phrase in the English language regardless of meaning.”

The Cellar Door, 1901 Franklin St. at Barker, (219) 879-9897. Open from 3 pm to midnight; til 1am Fridays and Saturdays. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.