The Grove House is back

This week, The Grove House returns to business in downtown Mariposa with a soft reopening after a short winter hiatus.

Maybe, think of it as The Grove House 2.1.

Same flexible hardware, with slightly updated software.

“I wanted to make it a sustainable business for both financial and personal reasons,” said Nate Pyle, who runs the business with his wife, Rosalyn.

Pyle’s ambition certainly hasn’t changed: To make The Grove House a regional music draw with great food and easy vibes.

The regular hours will shrink to Thursday through Saturday, 4-10 p.m., with a rotating monthly schedule of events ranging from the popular open mic tonight, trivia, bingo nights and will add a karaoke night and a Ukulele sing along.

All those events will be free with no cover charge.

There will still be ticketed events and music shows, as The Grove House continues to punch above its weight class in booking musical acts, many who are on the cusp of hitting big, like Mountain Grass Unit that is now playing the festival circuit.

“I think a lot of it is the energy Mariposa brings,” Pyle said.

“People coming from these surrounding towns who are saying how are you getting these great bands. I think a lot of music lovers talk about us.”

The reputation is catching on.

Minnesota based singer/songwriter Mason Jennings was talking up his small unplugged set at Grove House last year to fellow singer songwriter John Craigie, who booked his own date.

“I’m playing auditoriums and The Grove House,” Craigie said from the stage.

Other bands, like Brother’s Comatose, have sold out two nights at The Grove House and go rafting on the Merced between gigs.

This summer there are shows with multi-instrumentalist Ty Segall, along with return gigs from rapper Afro Man and hip hop artist Andre

Nickatina.

Fortunately, Myles Palmer is back running the food program which will see some changes.

The logistics will be changing slightly. Drinks will be ordered at the bar and the food will be ordered and picked up at the food truck.

The food concept will be changing to falafel.a.lot, a Mediterranean streetfood concept that Palmer had developed in Phoenix.

There will be falafel and hummus, of course, as well as braised meats, pita sandwiches and a variety of salads where “every bite is not the same.”

“He is finally cooking the food Myles wants to cook,” said Pyle.

Palmer believes the challenge may be communicating the food style to older customers.

Palmer will also partner with Raw Roots Farm in Catheys Valley where he currently does private dinners.

Palmer also wants to have a monthly “breakfast party” that has five or six courses.

Palmer and Pyle were classmates at the University of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, where they studied hotel and restaurant management.

Pyle started The Grove House in 2017 at a small location on 7th Street that is now an ice cream parlor.

Palmer joined him in 2021, when they moved to the current space on 5th Street in what had previously been a barbecue joint, a hydroponic gardening store and an auto shop.

For Pyle, the software update is really about a mindset to this Grove House reboot.

“My number one goal is just feeling like my body and my head are connected and just be more mindful,” he said.

Pyle, who grew up in El Portal, is a firm believer that “Mariposa works better when it works together.”

The couple have two children, Poppy and Parker.

If The Grove House has a business model it may be Pappy & Harriet’s, a rustic live music venue in Pioneer Town, about 20 minutes from Joshua Tree, which draws both locals, A-List talent and an occasional Hollywood star.

“I just want it to be an inclusive spot. I get some shit for that. But I’m not going to budge on that,” Pyle said.