It was nice and sunny afternoon to pop in and see what the gang is up to at the new and coming-very-soon Grand Cafe. Erik Anderson and Jamie Malone, along with a very seasoned crew of charmers and professionals—and professional charmers in the case of Bill Summerville—have been working diligently to make the space their own. The plan, by the way, is to be open by May 12.
Since taking it over from Mary and Dan Hunter, the two chefs have been trying to see the venerable cafe with new eyes. The two rooms which comprise the dining areas have been given a decor lift, while the bar is set to be swapped out, and the kitchen was a complete overhaul (but in a very gentle way).
This lovely vintage bar car, near the entry, will actually act as the host stand.
The front room still feels familiar and collected. "We found a bunch more of the round tables in the basement, so we brought them up for a nice change," Malone mentioned.
The side room has been anchored by this spectacular hand-painted wall paper they've installed. "When you get close you can see the brush strokes, it's amazing," Malone said. It rather sets the tone for the room, which is balanced by dark grays and warm pinks. They also got rid of the track lighting and installed some modern pendant lights.
There a subtle little touches around every corner in this small space, balancing modern and vintage pieces in a very cool way. You remember the bathroom? "It was kind of a band-aid color. We decided to go in the other direction and make it dark with elements of brass and gold," said Malone.
That balance between the present and the past seems to be a bit of a theme. "We have a bunch of old vintage dishes that Mary had," said Anderson, "we're going to use those mixed with some fun pieces we've found." Please, please take a close look at that plate, and tell me what is riding that bike.
That beautiful old Despatch Baker Boy oven that holds court over the front room will stay, and be given the space to shine. The bar in front of it will be replaced with this zinc-topped number from Paris that they found. It will be a curvy little beauty.
So that's the good stuff, and here's the better stuff. Reservations are LIVE! You can score your seat in the new Erik Anderson and Jamie Malone version of the Grand Cafe, starting May 12. So get on it!!
