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Since Bar Les Frères happens to be located in a former shoe repair shop, allow us the first bad pun: Zoe Robinson Pidgeon nailed it.
The 25-seater is hard to pigeonhole (OK, we're done)... It's part wine bar, part small plates restaurant, and part waiting area for Zoe's I Fratellini bistro directly across Wydown Blvd. We were allowed a peek at the interior last evening and summed it up in two words: Stun. Ning.
Prior to the acquisition, the imposing, round-top front window (at left) had been plastered over. Now--and deservedly-- it's the focal point of the space.
Les Frères is a small but gracious little nook, with white-upholstered couches and petite, white marble tables, emboldened by walls painted a powerful and deep red. Pidgeon admitted that when paint hit wall she thought she'd made a big mistake, "but it all came together when the artwork got placed and when the lights came down." Outside, a huge semicircular curtain can be drawn shut to shield diners from winter's ill winds.
This endeavor shows the profound effect that wall art can have. The gilt-framed portraiture along both walls is substantial yet subtle and impactful, in a pleasing, calming kind of way. And just when you think that it may be too feminine for some manly-man tastes, look above the bar, where a herd of deer antlers will quell that notion (see below). It's different, but it works. (One can make the same comment about Bobo Nooble House, another of Zoe's restaurants...the shotgun storefront is stark and crisp but compelling, so much so that it won an AIA Design Award for its interior.)
Pidgeon has assembled a veteran staff (she laughingly referred to them as "grown-ups"), led by Michael Weber, a former manager at Brasserie by Niche, who Zoe also credits as being "the best server in the city." Frères' 6-seat bar is prime real estate as well: the custom made zinc bartop has a lived-in feel and the backbar is lined with delicate antique glassware, awaiting service. But alas, the small but comrehensive menu is still being finalized and the opening of Les Frères (originally slated for September) is still several weeks away.
But you should make Clayton a "now" destination anyway, as three outstanding restaurants have opened there within the last month--Pastaria, Five Star Burgers, and Little Country Gentleman. Bar Les Frères, mindful that it's considered gauche to be the first to arrive at a party, will arrive appropriately and fashionably late.
