orange drink at the bar
Pedro Wolcott is thrilled that we all love tacos so much, but he's ready to level up. The Panamanian chef is on the cusp of opening his Guacaya Bistreaux in the North Loop, and he's hoping we can all spread our love a little wider.
"I think that when people think of Latin cuisine, they mostly think of Mexican food. Maybe Ecuadorian too. But those are only about 10% of the foods in that space. There's so much more Latin American and Caribbean foods to explore. That's what I want to bring with this place, I want to go a little deeper into that education," Wolcott told me yesterday.
It's so important to him, that he brought some of his opening team down to his hometown in Panama, so that they could get the feel of it all. Because he's working with Tyler Kleinow and Robb Jones of Meteor Bar on the cocktail program, Jones went along for the trip, "it was amazing. There's so much great food down there, from crazy fine dining to the best small neighborhood joints. There's a lot going on."
dining room blue leaf wall paper
Wolcott wanted to play a less-obvious tropical vibe, so he chose to honor the banana leaf with a midnight blue mural. And monkeys. They are hidden all around the space.
Let's be clear, Wolcott could bring the fancy. When he came to the United States in 2000, he landed in New Orleans with no more than a few words of English in his head. But the city embraced him, and he ended up cooking at the renowned Commander's Palace and Cochon Butcher among other places. The chef and his family moved up here a few years ago—they live a few blocks away from what will be his first restaurant, in the old Dunn Bros. spot across from the Hewing. And he wants to keep it casual.
stools and table looking out onto the street
Prime North Loop people watching. There are floor to ceiling windows and plenty of big tables, good for the friend group gatherings.
GB is all about tapas and cocktails. "It has to be accessible," Wolcott believes. "You have to feel like you can come in and grab some drinks and a tapa and it's not going to break you. Things are getting so serious and expensive. We want people to wander in and discover us, and by doing smaller tapas they can order a few things and get familiar."
the bar with stools and lights
The set up is easy. You can walk in off of Washington and step straight to the counter at the front of the open kitchen. The menu will live on chalkboards above the line, and you'll be able to order on the spot if you know what you want. If you want to take your time, you'll be able to order from a QR code set up at the tables. Everyone on staff, whether they are punching in an order or engaging you at the table, will be able to discuss the food and help guide your meal.
back bar with art
The patron saint of the space is from Wolcott's cousin, painter Alfonso Guardia. His work can be found all over the restaurant.
Wolcott did a pop-up last year at Glass House to try out some dishes, and he says that his small plates will pack a big punch. "No one leaves hungry, I promise." Ceviche, patacones (fried green plantains), carne en palitos (sour orange marinated skirt steak skewers) are all on the menu. But he'll also have some bigger main dishes, notably a whole fried fish and gumbo, "The menu will definitely have a nod to New Orleans, certain things like soup might switch between Caribbean and Louisiana. There's a lot of Afro-Caribbean influences in that town, I'd say that we'll have about 30% of our menu rooted in that city. We have little bits of NOLA all over the kitchen, if you know how to look for them, you'll see them."
rum on a bar
As for the drinks, this is a rum bar. Jones and Kleinow are helping them build the program, but Stef Tupy (formerly of Marvel Bar) will be the human to keep it evolving. The focus is on Panamanian rums which are bit more on the dry side. Ron Abuelo, the national rum, is the drink Jones found himself sipping most through the trip. The plan is to keep the drinks light, refreshing, and tropical to go with the food, and they're all on tap. Not only does it keep the flow moving quickly (given online ordering) but it allows the team to focus on garnishes that make them stunning. And: cocktails will be $12, a pretty great value here in the North Loop.
The rest of the space is really stylish and welcoming, no small feat considering that it was done on a shoestring budget. "We did a lot of bartering and sharing. We had family make the tables, the Womens' Club donated the table lights, Hennepin Made gave us the ceiling lights because of some work we did for them." Wolcott has been on the North Loop neighborhood board for two years, before he even knew that he wanted to open a restaurant in this neighborhood. He says that it's the relationships that he's been able to build that have made this place a reality.
people standing together
The team, from the left: Louis Tufte, Stef Tupy, Ricky Santos, James Paige, Pedro Wolcott.
"Same with my team. We all want a life, I want to be able to see my kids grow up. We're working on this together, it's not my dream it's our dream. We have to all be able to share in the good things that come out of creating a gathering space like this. Really, it should be fun for all. It's cocktails, it's tapas, it's life! We like to say: No one's gonna die!"
door and patio
Count me in as damn excited, I ate some of his food at the Glass House pop up and only want more. So who's up for a couple of plates and a couple of drinks? The patio out front will light your way, with hanging lanterns and fire pits. Look toward their socials, they might just be opening this weekend.
