Hook and Ladder Manufacturing Co. – the new venture from the owners of The Golden Bear – is set to open by the end of the month, co-owner Kimio Bazett said Friday.
The menu at the restaurant located at 1630 S St. is nearly complete, but Bazett said he’s keeping tight-lipped on what, exactly, will be on it.
“We’re trying to be as secretive as possible,” he said. “We don’t want too many details, except that there’s going to be a lot of handmade stuff. We’re trying to do all of our baking in-house, have handmade pasta, homemade sausages and farmers market-sourced produce as much as possible.”
He’s being equally mum about the interior of the building, saying that not even the workers are permitted to take photos with camera phones.
“The draw is to show everyone the complete package when we open – the sum of all the details,” he said.
One thing Bazett was clear about: This will be no clone of The Golden Bear.
“Although The Golden Bear is our baby and we love it and it’ll hopefully be here forever and ever, this new venture is going to be very different – equal parts bar and restaurant,” he said.
The bar menu will feature classic cocktails as well as new recipes, and Bazett said he wants the restaurant to be an innovator in the field. Innovations, he said, will include new techniques for making drinks and new technologies as soon as they are introduced.
Pricing for food will run the gamut from below $10 to steaks and other entrées approaching $20. Some plates will be designed for sharing – part of what Bazett said is the theme of the restaurant.
“We want people in the neighborhood to come down here and feel like this is a place they can hang out and have us be part of the neighborhood,” he said.
Located in a neighborhood, Bazett said the business wants to get situated and get to know the residents, and no entertainment permit will be applied for for at least the first year.
“We’re really focusing on being a part of the community and being a positive impact on the culture rather than impacting it negatively,” he said. “We want to give the best possible service so everyone feels welcome.”
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