The dedicated team at bc Restaurant was hard at work on their renovation project when I stopped by to chat with managing partner Ellen Leahy. As some of you may know, the restaurant closed down for what they’ve termed as a “face lift”–updating decor, installing an absolutely huge hardwood floor, organizing back of house and even tweaking the very materials on which the new, improved menu will be printed on.
I had a chance to see the new, adjusted logo featuring a flowing handwriting-based font as well as a first look on some new exposed bulb lighting fixtures–all while learning about the restaurant’s ideology and plans for evolution. I even got a quick primer on a movement known as Steampunk, a very unlikely aesthetic which is an inspiration for the restaurant’s rebirth. More on that later. There are even some new menu items that I’m very excited to try. Luckily bc opened its doors Friday, January 13th at 5:00 p.m. for a grand re-opening.
bc Restaurant’s “face lift” isn’t just hardwood floors, some paint and a new carpet, but a renewed strategy of evolution that will ensure the fine dining establishment not only stays fresh but maybe even defines it’s own space as something unique in Syracuse. When I found myself discussing a somewhat obscure aesthetic movement and Victorian history while pondering what it means to throw out a classic font logo for a handwriting-based one I knew that bc has more going on than meets the eye. Not only is it a place to sit down and enjoy an ever-changing selection of modern cuisine and excellent wine, but a place of reinvention, innovation and subtlety. This was the first time I had a chance to notice all the tiny details and hear the stories behind them. But for me it was something more–a chance to grasp how the sensibilities, ideals and personalities of a restaurant’s management define it as a whole.
I’ll start with some of the more obvious changes. We had a bit of an issue with our equipment so unfortunately there aren’t as many pictures as I hoped. But if you scroll down you’ll see an unedited photo of the beautiful new hardwoods that go from the entrance all the way to the edge of the back dining room. They also surround the entire bar. No more drab carpet, just shiny hardwood which reflects the new exposed bulb lighting that hangs from the ceiling in a very utilitarian manner. This simple (though undoubtedly expensive) change really alters the entire space, giving it added openness and warmth and even making the ceiling seem higher. It’s amazing what hardwoods can do for a space. Now the floors actually match bc Restaurant’s modern menu selections.
As I said, we got into some pretty deep stuff on my visit. What I’m talking about is a movement called Steampunk, which is helping bc define it’s future. Originating as a sub-genre of science fiction writing it eventually moved into the realm of art, fashion, design and aesthetic. It’s marked by industrial, utilitarian items such as gears, steam engines and other turn of the century technology. As a design concept, it infuses these items into our modern, everyday spaces. A wall clock might now have large, visible gears or you might hang your menus/lights/etc with pulleys and rope (Cafe Kubal does just this). Rich dark paint, vintage hardwoods, exposed beams and metal details all fall under the Steampunk aesthetic. Add a little Victorian in there and you’ve nailed it on the head. bc Restaurant is using this as a jumping off point to slowly escape the “modern” look, which isn’t aging well for many ‘Cuse restaurants (again, no names–for now). I’m not going to belabor the point much more, because I really don’t have one, but at least now you’re armed with an appreciation (I hope) for bc’s changes and a shiny new buzzword–Steampunk!
Cuisine changes are limited to the realm of appetizers but I saw some fantastic looking stuff on the now translucent menu (it’s actually see-through!–very exciting to me for some reason). Here’s a quick way to suddenly get an appetite; let’s read off some items shall we? Smoked rare beef tenderloin, semolina crusted calamari, rare Cajun seared tuna, jumbo lump crab cakes… Hungry yet?
Even though this isn’t a Guru Review (I’ll do an official one), it’s pretty obvious that bc Restaurant is:
bc Restaurant (new website coming soon)
247 West Fayette Street (Directions)
(315) 701-0636
bc reopens tonight at 5:00 p.m., don’t forget who sent ya…
Just a few pictures to check out, nothing fancy.
© 2012, Michael Rotella. All rights reserved.
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