A peek at what's planned for an all-star designed restaurant in Raleigh
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The minds behind Big Cat, from left: Justin Pasfield, Marshall Davis, Angela Salamanca, Paul Siler and Cheetie Kumar. Photo: Courtesy of Big Cat
After years of restaurants shuffling through the space at 1000 Brookside Dr., a group of Raleigh culinary luminaries believes they have an idea with staying power.
Why it matters: In March, the creative minds behind favorites like Ajja, Mala Pata and Locals Seafood will launch Big Cat in the East Mordecai neighborhood, creating a combination of a restaurant, to-go market and neighborhood watering hole.
Driving the news: The group — which includes Cheetie Kumar and Paul Siler, of Ajja; Marshall Davis and Angela Salamanca, of Mala Pata; and Justin Pasfield, of Locals Seafood and Person Street Bar — has been working on the idea since last summer, after Pasfield was approached about taking over the space.
State of play: Kumar said the group has put a lot of thought into the layout of the space, saying it previously felt like too much of a convenience store and not enough like a welcoming restaurant.
- While it will still have a market, the goal was to make it feel like a place with welcoming lighting and spots where people can sit down and have an experience.
- The 3,500-square-foot space will have indoor seating for 60, an accompanying bar with room for 18, and a covered, all-season patio.
- A small market will offer wine, prepared foods, drinks and a variety of other products.
Between the lines: Prior to becoming Big Cat, the space formerly held restaurants like Otomi Comida y Cocteles, Brookside Bodega, Falafel & Co. and Brookside Pizza.
- "You know, people talk about a place being cursed, and I think sometimes that can happen if the location is bad," Kumar told Axios. "But I can't think of a better location" at the intersection of the Mordecai and Oakwood neighborhoods, with other successful businesses, like The Optimist, next door.
What to expect: On the food front, Kumar has been tasked with designing the menu for Big Cat. She said they're calling it tavern-style food, which to her means a place that you could eat every day with approachable standards.
- That includes dishes like smoked half or quartered chicken, grilled lamb, seafood sourced from Locals, "big, crunchy salads," sandwiches and soft-serve ice cream.
- "I'm excited about our chicken wings, honestly," Kumar said, adding that she's also excited to incorporate global influences into the menu, like roasted oysters with a Thai twist.
What's next: While the goal is to open in March, expect several pop-ups on Big Cat's patio to take place before it officially opens.
