Bogdanow designs Beekman Kitchen

Real Estate Weekly, March 6, 2002

Larry Bogdanow and his staff have designed a new, casual restaurant at 1239 Second Ave. and 64th St. Called the Beekman Kitchen, it is a combination restaurant, bar, retail space, and eat-in counter, featuring freshly prepared foods in front of an open kitchen and hearth. The overall feeling is that of a warm, bustling kitchen.

The design is warm, cleanm and colorful. The 50-foot long facade is entirely made up of contemporary custom glass and metal doors, elegantly articulated, so that the streetscape will serves as an important element of the dining room. A modern metal awning is over the door -- its contour is gently raised, like an eyebrow, to cover guests; it feels very welcoming.

The brightly blazing Woodstone oven in the kitchen greets patrons and immediately emphasizes the importance of cooking and freshly prepared foods Blue and white tiles behind it add a homey, almost, old-fashioned feeling. Bogdanow's office planned the retail, casual dining area, and bar to the north; here a prominent scurved wood counter showcases platter of fresh salad ingredients, baked pasta dishes, and home-style entrees, like stuffed cabbage or crispy oven fried chicken. The counter becomes a full-service bar in the evenings. Simple, elegant glass light fixtures over the counter reinforce the curve.

The dining room, in the southern two thirds of the space, is bright and pretty, with vivid, colorful painted panels on the walls by artist Carla Weisberg. Typical of a Bogdanow design, this room is acoustically perfect - a curving wood grille along the ceiling absorbs noise while adding warmth and intimacy. A quartet of custom designed benches can be easily moved by the staff at different times of day to define self service or table service areas. The designers had fun with antique perforated pie plates, which they have fashioned into light fixtures on the south wall.

Downstairs there is another 1,500-SF dining room that will accommodate parties or overflow a la carte dining. This room, elliptical in shape, is done in a deep, bittersweet orange.