Another new downtown restaurant, or, Revolution at the Baldwin
June 27, 2007
Looks like this is Greenfire Development's week for downtown restaurant announcements. According to a loyal BCR reader, Greenfire held a reception on the 15th floor of the Hill/CCB/SunTrust building during Durham Rising this past weekend.
At the event, postcards were distributed hawking "Revolution," a new restaurant set to open in December 2007 in the first floor of the Baldwin Lofts building discussed here on the blog yesterday. According to the source, the chef is formerly of Il Palio, the four-diamond Italian restaurant at the Siena Hotel in Chapel Hill.
A quick web search confirms that Jim Anile -- until relatively recently the executive chef at Il Palio, and before that chef at The Melrose in Dallas -- has registered the web site "www.revolutionrestaurant.com" in his own name. No page posted at the present, but combined with last week's announcement of Charlie Deal's Dos Perros coming to another Greenfire building, it looks like the Lemanskites have been busy closing deals of late. (And as with Dos Perros, the timing of this opening seems no accident, allowing the new Revolution to gear up its menu and service ahead of the spring/summer rush.)
Of course, as the comments on yesterday's post demonstrated, the addition of three new upscale restaurants with nary a mid-priced option joining them may be great for evening diners and performing arts center patrons... but downtown also needs to attract (and retain) folks like the late, lamented W. Main Street Deli in order to provide options across price ranges, both for office drones at lunchtime and to meet the broader community's needs.
(Speaking of which, has anyone been by the Five Points Cafe yet? Anyone know if it opened up successfully last week?)
Speaking of West Main Street Deli, anyone notice what it's been (perhaps only temporarily) converted to? Another art gallery! Because who needs moderately priced food when you can look at paintings?
I think in some ways, attracting the types of people downtown who would eat the more upscale places like Revolution (or Piedmont, Rue Cler, etc.) is a good idea. If it's "safe" enough for the elite, it's probably, in theory, safe enough for anybody.
Posted by: JDC | June 27, 2007 at 09:38 AM
When is someone going to open a vegetarian restaurant in Durham? Who ever does, and does it well, stands to make a lot of money. There's no competition.
Posted by: Nico | June 27, 2007 at 03:18 PM
I believe that Anotherthyme was, at one point, vegetarian (when it had the same ownership as the now-departed vegetarian Pyewacket in Chapel Hill.) That was probably back in the 80s - ?
GK
Posted by: GK | June 27, 2007 at 04:27 PM
I agree w/ Nico. It could be along the lines of Rosetta's or Laughing Seed in Asheville. I've often thought that it would be something fun to do, but then when I think about the endless hours that it would entail, it doesn't seem much fun.
Posted by: peanutbutter | June 27, 2007 at 04:29 PM
I vote for an Indian restaurant, they usually have great vege options. Downtown def needs another Indian restaurant. It doesn't really need another American Italian/European restaurant like Pop's, Pizza Italia, Alivia's, Piedmont, Rue Cler, AnotherTyme. They are all somewhat similar.
Posted by: mike | June 27, 2007 at 08:02 PM
And if we're talking Indian restaurants, I'd like to see something different, like Gujurati (which is all vegetarian) or south Indian.
Posted by: DC | June 27, 2007 at 09:28 PM
I wonder if DDI has tried to lure any of the 15-501 restaurants to downtown. Pao Lim, Kashmir, and Kurama would bring some more Asian variety. And then there's Guglhupf and Foster's... a boy can dream.
Posted by: JDC | June 28, 2007 at 09:59 AM
I really don't understand why Durham doesn't have a vegetarian restaurant. It really hasn't had one since Somethyme closed over 20 years ago. There used to be support for one, so one would think there would be now. I'm not a vegetarian or a restaurateur. However, were I the latter, I would seriously consider opening such a place, despite not being the former either. :)
Posted by: Joe | June 28, 2007 at 11:28 AM
I don't agree with luring outer core Durham restaurants to the downtown area. This isn't just because I live within walking distance of Pao Lim, Thai Cafe, Foster's, and the remainder of what some have called "Restaurant Row". I think having multiple destinations (15/501, Ninth Street, Downtown, the emerging Broad Street area) with good and fine dining around town strengthens the culinary community in a way that having a concentration inside the Loop would not.
As Durham continues to be recognized as a foodie hot spot, new places will come into the city center -- no need to convince current owners to move (unless they want to).
Posted by: ASE | June 28, 2007 at 12:51 PM
DDI is partly funded by the City of Durham and would not want to attempt to lure a business from one part of Durham to another on the taxpayers' dime. The private sector, i.e. developers and their brokers do this all the time. It's called competition. If DDI were hoping that these restaurants would open a second location downtown, that would be a different story. For the record, I believe that Kashmir went out of business.
Posted by: anon | June 28, 2007 at 12:55 PM
more than anything I would like to see some more diverse nightlife options. Like BCR said before, Durham is the land of fine-dining and not much more. I am thinking something along the lines of a piano or jazz bar, late night bars like Tyler's, or a club/lounge. Sean Wilson's pub/movie idea is a great start and I hope it ends up downtown. We definitely don't need 100 excellent restaurants with nothing else to do.
Posted by: mike | June 28, 2007 at 01:20 PM
Personally, I want a cheap Asian noodles place.
For those pining for Guglhuph, I'd say check out P&O or Rue Cler. I'm not sure what you can get at Guglhupf that you can't get at one of those two. There have been two recent runs at a piano bar, and neither worked out. I've never seen the attraction of a piano bar, so since I can't figure out how one would succeed, I can't help you with why they failed.
However, those wanting a jazz bar probably haven't been to Talk of the Town, one of the best jazz bars in North Carolina.
Posted by: Michael Bacon | June 28, 2007 at 05:34 PM
i don't think an all vegetarian restaurant is 100% necessary. sure, i think it would be great especially since i am veggie. however, if a restaurant would just open with plenty of good veggie options that would be enough to make me happy.
does anyone out there remember the greenhouse cafe?? that place was awesome, affordable, and had plenty of veggie options and meat options to make everyone happy. it was around from about 1999-2003 (maybe 02). i wish they would re-open.
overall, though i do see a more veggie options around and i appreciate that restaurants are trying. we can always hope for more though.
Posted by: kristiep | July 16, 2007 at 01:01 PM
I second the nightlife comment. Ringside needs to be REdone and new places opened. I host a monthly Durham LGBT happy hour and we're basically going back and forth between Siren's Lounge and GLoft. Both great spaces but we're ready for new venues.
Posted by: Will | July 28, 2007 at 12:31 PM
Will,
I hope to have the opportunity to host a happy hour/stuff to do spot in the very near future. It'll be downtown or very near it. We'd love to have you.
My goal is to have a place that an LGBT social group, progressive church, or fuzzy bunny appreciation society can call home. Kind of like Durham itself.
Posted by: Sean Wilson | July 28, 2007 at 05:21 PM