Revolution bows; Symposium bows out (with replacement ready); Ben Benson's slows

It's a quiet week in local news given the holidays (the Fishwrap will resume next week, when there's more than filler to report on), but an oddly busy one in restaurant news.

First up, on the opening side: Revolution downtown began its soft opening in recent days, and is open for dinner nightly this week. They're accepting reservations starting next week; we'd suggest calling ahead for hours of operation before heading down.

Revolution -- the brainchild of Jim Anile, formerly the executive chef at Il Palio in Chapel Hill -- has opened on the first floor of the Greenfire-owned former Baldwin department store that now houses the Baldwin Lofts on its upper floors. First announced last summer, the project has apparently run into some of the, er, charms of dealing with older buildings and downtown infrastructure on its way to its debut.

On the closure side: Symposium Cafe at American Tobacco threw in the metaphorical towel this week, with the Herald-Sun reporting that the restaurant closed just before Christmas. The 'Pose has looked to be in tough straits for some time, and rumors had surfaced of the restaurant's likely closure in the days leading up to the event. 

Given the current economic climate, one might expect to see Symposium's closure couched in such terms, but that's an oversimplification -- particularly given that downtown restaurants have seemed, visually at least, to get a real burst of traffic on nights when shows are on at the DPAC. The first restaurant to open at Ambacco, Symposium's food and service simply never managed to catch on, earning mediocre reviews from the press and restaurant review web sites.

(We actually heard a story anecdotally on Monday about how the 'Pose was very busy during a DPAC show night a few weeks ago, but that at least one diner waited long enough for their food that they became concerned over missing their show.)

Viva a second Revolution: The ultimate sign that Symposium's closing was more about the economy? The fact that CBC apparently has a restaurant waiting in the wings to take its place. The H-S reports that Cuban Revolution Restaurant and Bar, a Providence, R.I.-based restaurant focused on tapas and sandwiches, is in the "final stages of negotiations" to take over the 'Pose's prime location.

Cuban Revolution by all accounts has had a very strong following in R.I. in its original hole-in-the-wall location; having expanded to two larger locations, the reviews on places like Yelp have been a bit more mixed, particularly on the service side -- though then again, by that standard, they might feel right at home at the 'Pose.

The H-S notes a Struever Bros. connection to Cuban Revolution, the restaurant having opened one of its two locations in an SBER-renovated urban restoration project. We'd note that the restaurant's second site is in the city's arts and entertainment district -- two-tenths of a mile away from the Providence Performing Arts Center, operated by PFM, the R.I.-based firm that manages the DPAC in partnership with Nederlander.

All of which is to say: enough connections abound between and betwixt these things to make Cuban Revolution's entry a very understandable matter.

Delayed: While American Tobacco's Power House building has recently finished its shell renovation, and Motricity spin-off PocketGear has moved into the top story, we noticed a few weeks back that interior upfit hadn't yet begun on the planned Ben Benson's Steakhouse on the site -- and more interestingly, no new building permits for the upfit had been pulled, even as the PocketGear construction continued.

Capitol Broadcasting confirmed in a press release obtained by the H-S that the steakhouse is indeed delayed from its planned 2009 debut thanks to the broader economic conditions. No more word on a revised timetable for the project.

Comments

[Nolan]

Eating at Symposium was always an experience in a long wait for ultimately very average food.

The only exception was their desserts which consisted of huge slices of delicious cakes and pastries. Alas, that was not enough to redeem the whole place.

[duncan]

I hate to wish ill on any company in this economic situation, but Symposium was not very good. And I'm not even picky about my restaurants, but every time I've been there it's been slow service and average food. The last time my wife and I were there it took forever for someone to just get us some water. We pretty decided then and there not to go again.

[Scott Harmon]

Revolution is simply amazing. Congratulations to Jim and Lyle (his long-standing front-of-the-house colleague). We ate there Christmas Eve and had a simply amazing meal. The design is beautiful, the food is creative, but still delicious (a lesson many of our other "foodie" establishments would do well to learn). Not quite as pricey as I expected. This place will do very well, and the bar will be a very popular perch in downtown. They are "soft opening" until Monday. Drop by...they'll feed you.

[Joshua Allen]

I'm only surprised that Symposium lasted so long . I hope the new restaurant is better.

[durhamfood]

" the food is creative, but still delicious (a lesson many of our other "foodie" establishments would do well to learn)."

Exactly which foodie establishments are you referring to? As far as I know, Durham has exactly zero restaurants cooking 'creative' food that is of anything but the highest standards. We have no real 'out-there' restaurants...

[Bull City Rising]

Mrs. BCR and I stopped by Revolution tonight to give it a whirl. Knowing that Scott's not given to hyperbole, I figured we were in for a treat based on his comment.

That wasn't the half of it. Simply one of the most outstanding meals we've had, in Durham or anywhere else, in a very long time. Terrific service, amazing food, and overall a great experience.

It's hard not to imagine this becoming a really top destination for DPAC visitors and for anyone looking to experience Durham cuisine.

[Lenore]

Darn. I was really hoping a Neomonde branch would go in the Symposium space. I think that would have been weird, given the overlap with Saladelia, but I was still hoping...

[KeepDurhamDifferent!]

Revolution sounds great, but I'd like to echo DF's comment that Durham has no "out there" restaurants. I'm talking about the avant garde "El Bulli" kind of place that serves espuma (dishes made out of foam), or even something moderately off the wall like Craft in NYC (where the customer creates his own dish). Shoot, even our Ethiopian restaurant has closed -- I have to drive to Raleigh to get my weekly fix of doro wat.

If it's any consolation, neither Raleigh nor Chapel Hill are out there. If and when avant garde cuisine comes to the triangle I'm sure it will be in Durham.

[fullsteam]

Threadbending...KeepDurhamDifferent, have you been to the reopened Queen of Sheba in Timberlyne? Not too far for excellent Ethopian. The lunch buffet is a deal; dinner is the real thang.

[Dan]

I was also at Revolution Christmas Eve and that is one fine restaurant. I would say it's the most "New York" of the fancy Durham places. And they could have charged twice as much for that food.

[burgeoningfoodie]

Wonders what "New York" means? Also, there is Ethiopian food in Chapel Hill unless Queen of Sheba closed again though I did hear the service there was atrocious. Anyways, I'm not sorry to Symposium go. My gf and I went there and waited 10 minutes to be seated with the place practically empty. We waited another 20 minutes without ever being asked what we wanted to drink at which point we got up and told the manager in a polite, but assertive manner that we were going to give Tyler's our business instead.

I had heard about a steakhouse coming to that area but I think that will cater more to the sports crowd than the theatre crowd (time will tell). I think Tapas if they are truly tapas and not like 6 tapas to choose from and then some other stuff would work very well. I wonder if a Creperie would do a decent business there as it should be fast and filling.

As far as gastronomic food the likes of El Bulli, WD-40 and Alinea coming to Durham.. Well Z's Kitchen was as close as it has been yet (though that wasn't technically a restaurant). I do notice that at least 3 of the good restaurants in the area take from local source and so maybe that is what Durham will be known for. I also don't expect those types of restaurants (El Bulli) to be here any time soon especially with the economy. I'm also hesitant to say this but I don't think Durham would be able to support such restaurants based on the price of meal alone.

[burgeoningfoodie]

Oh and I forgot to say Congratulations to Revolution may it live long and feed many. I look forward to trying it after the holidays.

[Michael Bacon]

Queen of Sheeba is now part of a rather deep pit in the ground, soon to be the underground parking for a condo building. It is no more. (Personally, since piles of food and weird spongy bread never really appealed to me, I'm not crying, but I know some people will miss it.)

I want a good Asian noodle soup place. Maybe if I keep saying it, it might happen... :)

[fullsteam]

Michael,

Queen of Sheba recently reopened and is now in the Timberlyne Shopping Center.

http://queenofshebachapelhill.com

I'd give it another shot -- when they're not busy. Service can be painfully slow. Piles of food and weird spongy bread never tasted so good.

Back to Derm: I never "got" Symposium's concept, FWIW. That, combined with stories of awful service, gave me no reason to go.

[burgeoningfoodie]

I'm not sure Symposium had a concept. It was a chain I believe or at last not the first of its kind. Oh and to correct myself above, I meant WD-50 NOT WD-40 though it does help some varieties of meatloaf go down easier :-þ