Martinis, Sushi Will Join Woodstock's Restaurant Offerings

The diverse food choices in downtown Woodstock will soon become more varied.

Danny and Peggy Snow of northeast Cobb County are opening the latest restaurant in Woodstock. ICE Martini Bar, an eatery that will combine sushi and drinks, will greet new customers during tonight’s Friday Night Live event held in downtown Woodstock.

ICE is decked out with a cool blue and white color scheme, designed to bring what Peggy Snow described as a Buckhead feel into Woodstock. The place is complete with a full bar and comfortable seating in an lounge atmosphere.

"We're bringing that Buckhead atmosphere without being in Buckhead and without Buckhead prices," she said. 

Mrs. Snow, a native of Miami, said ICE's name speaks to its two cold signature items: martinis and sushi. She also said the blue and white color scheme was inspired by the open and airy feel that's prominent in South Beach. 

ICE will take the place of Wink Woodstock, which closed earlier this year. ICE will be stocked with a full bar and will serve sushi, sashimi and rolls. They will not offer fried sushi or tempura rolls as the restaurant does not contain a grease trap needed to properly dispose of grease. 

While the owners don’t like to characterize their new establishment as a high-end restaurant, the Snows want to stress they are not a night club or a sports bar. What they are is a place where customers dress up and enjoy reasonably priced drinks and sushi, they added. 

The Snows also said they want customers to know they will make top-quality service a priority in its business.

“We want to make sure we provide quality service, quality drinks and quality food,” Danny Snow added.

The company is planning a softer opening this weekend, with only the bar in operation. It will begin serving its sushi later in the month. Hours of operation most likely will be 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturdays.

ICE has also brought on Fuyuhiko Ito, a 20-year veteran in the sushi industry. Ito most recently was employed with MF Buckhead before the restaurant closed in February. Ito, who is trained in a wide array of cuisines, said he plans to bring quality sushi to his customers.

"Our standard is world class," he said, adding he will create "beautiful" presentations with top-shelf fish.

The Snows said their restaurant will attract different demographics throughout any given night. Adults in the 40s or 50s will trickle in earlier and the Snows believe the restaurant will see their audience shift to a younger crowd as the night wears on. 

Snow said she plans to have sushi and beer or wine pairings and other drink specials. They are also mulling the possibility of having jazz on some nights and acoustic guitar on other nights. However, she added, the restaurant will not have live bands, but a DJ will be on hand to provide music.

The Shows said they've eyed the Woodstock area for years before deciding to open up shop. 

"At the time, the area really wasn’t really developed," Peggy Snow said. "It's seen great growth and we felt we had an opportunity (here)." 

ICE's co-owners said they are excited to give Woodstock residents yet another choice in the endless array of restaurants in the downtown area. Along with stressing quality service, the Snows said they will also have experienced servers and bartenders to make sure their customers are happy.

“They are going to come in here and get a different experience," Peggy Snow said.