In Spain, bodegas are groceries and wine merchants. But according to Collin Castore, co-owner of Bodega, at 1044 N. High St., the Short North’s bodega is an eatery, a bar, a carry-out, and a coffee shop all rolled into one.

"It’s your corner store with a little bit of everything," Castore said, "a casual, neighborhood shop that is reflective of the Short North and its atmosphere."

And it does have a little bit of that casually upscale, middle America-meets-Greenwich Village feel that the Short North has cultivated since at least the mid-1980s. Wood-topped rectangular tables fitted with geometric black chairs deck out the dining room. Unpainted particle board booths with slate-blue naugahyde padding adorn the restaurant’s exposed brick north wall. The black-and-chrome lunch counter/bar stools with foreshortened backs can only be described as mod.

The array of tantalizing salads, "small plate" appetizers and paninis (sandwiches) on the food menu also combines basic fare with an urban attitude.