AT MIRUS, PREPARE TO SHARE

 MIRUS 15 E. Wilson St., Batavia 630-326-9669 www.mirusbatavia.com

Small plates with global flavors make for a delicious, unmatched meal in the Tri-Cities

By Louise Treeny | Photos provided by Cedric Jones

Big flavors, small plates. That’s the focus at Mirus, Batavia’s newest restaurant focused on globally inspired small plates, shareable menu items that come out of the kitchen like sushi style service. The mentality comes partially from a current trend in restaurant dining where guests enjoy sharing meals with each other. “Why share two things when you can share five?” says Ryan Shaver, general manager. Shaver and his partner, Melissa Monno, purchased Sidecar Supper Club & Beer Garden (formerly River’s Edge) in 2015. In June 2021, the two got an unexpected chance to tour an empty space in downtown Batavia. Monno and John Hamel of Pal Joey's and Bar Evolution signed the lease the following day, then opened Mirus almost exactly one year later. Both the food and service set the restaurant apart, Shaver believes. “The food is ridiculous,” he says. “Just trust us.” Popular entrees so far include ribeye bites — “three ribeye medallions with roasted shiitake and oyster mushrooms and a sweet brandy cream,” according to the online menu — prawns and polenta, eggplant stacks and the andouille flatbread, which comes with an in-house smoked pepper jam. About 70% of the menu is gluten-free or vegetarian, according to Shaver, a choice that was equal parts intentional and happenstance. The menu will continue to change — and likely grow, as head chef Rick Kaniuga wanted to start with “only” 40 of his best creations. In terms of cocktails, Shaver recommends any of the sours; the amaretto sour, or “Almond Smackaroon,” is one of the best, he says. But just because the offerings likely include ingredients you may not recognize, don’t think Mirus is pretentious. The menu has a section dedicated just to meatballs entitled “Balls of the World,” and the staff’s uniform is loosely “what you’d wear on a second date,” Shaver says. The best compliment he’s gotten so far is that this is “the weirdest restaurant in the best way.” Shaver takes the most pride in the way the staff has come together to make for one of the smoothest restaurant openings in his experience. The team is comprised of longtime restaurant veterans and a hardworking high-school age support staff. The open-front kitchen makes everyone working “on stage” to diners and it makes for an entertaining experience for everyone.