Jan 4, 2015 - News

Kid Cashew on East Boulevard sets its opening for mid-January

Andrew Dunn

Arguably the most anticipated restaurant opening of the year is now on the calendar. Kid Cashew, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in Dilworth, is planning to open its doors in mid-January.

This is in the building at 1608 East Boulevard, right next to Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar and across from the Mayobird.

Lots of big names are behind this spot. The location is the former home of Tijuana Flats and owned by esteemed restauranteur Martin Sprock (the man behind RuRu’s Tacos & Tequila, Leroy Fox and Ios Greek Kitchen).

The restaurant management largely comes from Georges Brasserie, and its legendary owner Giorgio Bakatsias is behind the menu.

The group had a Mediterranean concept in mind for a while — something similar to Giorgio’s Kipos restaurant in Chapel Hill — and picked this location as an ideal spot. They went to negotiate a lease, and Sprock instead offered a partnership opportunity.

The menu and decor is meant to be rustic, and a little raw.

Why Kid Cashew as the name?

Giorgio grew up on a farm in Greece, and owned a goat named Cashew. Here’s a painting of him.

And Sprock once frequented a butcher who went by the nickname “Kid.”

More interesting nuggets about the restaurant:

The wine list will be relatively small (read: curated) and include more off-the-beaten-path selections. Glass pours will also be 4 oz instead of the typical 5 oz or 6 oz, and the price will reflect that. The idea is to not force people to feel like they’re making a major decision.
The cocktail menu will be divided into two sections: “Living Libations” will include modern drinks infused with herbs, mint, thyme and rosemary that are meant to be refreshing. There will also be a classics menu including dirty martinis and sidecars.

The signature drink is called “Breast Milk” and made with the Greek liqueur ouzo and lemonade. Will be sold in pitchers over the summer.
The menu will be salad heavy, and low on meat. But all the meat will be cooked on a wood-fired grill. No gas.

There’s no freezer and no fryer.
Meat will be sold as you would buy it at a butcher.
100+ seat patio will have a 100-inch projection screen for big games, but there’s no TVs inside.