So much Plywood, so little time. We'll kick things off with one special report, then move right into Mega Plywood later today. Keep on keepin' on.
DOWNTOWN: The Brewer's Gallery is coming to 800 E. Third St., smack dab in the middle of the Arts District. Written more like a business plan (to lure investors) the website talks up the demographics of the neighborhood, some of the ideas for the space, and has these pretty vague renderings, but we have more deets from one of the main partners, Jake Tringali. He hails from the Bonaventure Brewing Co. downtown, plus Gordon Biersch in Burbank. His business partner, Kevin Kansy, is the brewer. Kansy was a homebrewer and learned commercial brewing at Craftsman in Pasadena. The chef is one Jason Nunley, who worked at Nic's in Beverly Hills, and at two boutique hotels in Spain. Thus, the menu will be very small-plate oriented, what Tringali calls "cuisine a la biere." Think: wine bar with beer.
The look: The working brewery will be located behind the bar as a décor element?ah, we can smell the hops now. Architects were recruited from nearby SCI-Arc (Southern California Institute of Architecture) and will use the original brickwork and timber ceilings. There will be a 100-circular bar, lots of metal (including copper brewery) and local artwork. So you see, it's a vortex of local ideas, local bodies and minds, local palates. We lived in the Pacific NW for awhile, so a local beer scene couldn't make us happier. Tringali says, "We've finished the floor plans and already began the permitting process, all while continuing to raise the additional capital to open and operate. If all goes well, we could be looking at an opening around the beginning of 2008." Cheers to that.
