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The Main Street Market’s cookware and tabletop shop, The Seasonal Cook, has changed hands, becoming a third outpost of Culpeper and Fredericksburg’s gourmet specialty store The Frenchman’s Corner. Paris-born owner Marc Ast will still sell some cookware but has also stocked the shelves with beer, wine, cheese, dried pastas, jarred spreads and toppings, and the largest selection of Belgian Neuhaus chocolates this side of the pond. What more could us foodies want?
Biker bar cometh
Matteus Frankovich, a former owner of the Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar, is opening up Vintage Brews, a biker-themed bar on Meade Avenue. More Eurosport racer than Harley Davidson, the funky, industrial space will feature live music and already granted a sneak preview to some by hosting Sarah White’s annual Christmas show.
Escafé’s reincarnation
Escafé bid 2011 and its space on the Downtown Mall farewell at its famous New Year’s Eve bash, but the place will be born again in the old OXO space on Water Street, which owner Todd Howard has coveted since June 2010. The new space will allow Escafé to grow from a cramped, casual club to an upscale club. He promises bigger, better dance parties and cabaret and drag acts in addition to their current entertainment line-up. Howard’s been busy modifying the space—it’s sweeping and open, yet has “adequate hiding places” and much nicer bathrooms than the old space. Howard says they’ll miss the prime people-watching from the mall, but won’t miss everyone spilling their drinks on one another. By the end of the month, various permit-granters willing, we’ll have extra elbow room and space to cut a rug.