First Look: Evening Star Cafe Renovation

The staff at is frantically putting the finishing touches on the restaurant’s renovation and aims to reopen for dinner at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

The reopening was pushed back a day so some of the new interior design elements could be completed.

Del Ray Patch received a peek at the new look on Monday afternoon. With many elements still a few days from completion, the attached photos are simply a preview of the finished product.

In the dining room, plush banquette seating—in a color described as “Evening Star blue”—now divides the space in the middle. New booths adorn the walls and are illuminated by Erector set light fixtures designed by Rick Singleton. The artist was responsible for the restaurant’s original Erector-inspired lighting. Other artwork from Singleton will decorate the interior walls.

The dining room floor has been completely retiled and the tables and chairs have been replaced. Instead of the former red tabletops, new chrome-based white tables fill the space with red chairs to create a diner-like vibe.

The service station near the kitchen has been removed to create more room; the dining room now has a total of 60 seats. There’s also a door that opens directly into Planet Wine.

The Majestic Lounge, the Star’s back bar, is also expected to reopen Thursday with a more substantial new look.

Megan Bailey, the Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s public relations director, said the new lounge has the 1950s vibe of “your cool uncle’s basement.”

A new black leather bar top sits below a collection of illuminated mason jars hanging from the ceiling. The team from Hailey Design scoured craigslist to find the jars. The firm also designed NRG’s Vermillion and Tallula.

One lounge wall will be decorated with a collection of trophies donated from friends and customers, including a women’s bowling prize from 1953. Another wall will be decorated with a series of robot-shaped stencils. The ceiling will be adorned with star-shaped lights.

The lounge furniture was not in place on Monday, but Bailey promised a vintage look.

Behind the bar, two flat screen TVs will hang above a couple genuine 1950s General Electric refrigerators re-engineered to cool a collection of 20 draft beers curated by Greg Engert, NRG’s beer director.

Bailey didn't know for sure how much the renovation cost NRG, but said a lot of products have been recycled and repurposed.

New chef Jim Jeffords is still fine-tuning his Southern-accented menu in the Star’s updated kitchen, but Bailey offered the following peek:

“Guests can expect dishes like buttermilk fried chicken with braised collards, boiled peanuts, sunchoke mash and red eye gravy; molasses-glazed duck breast with dirty rice and Hoppin’ John risotto with tasso ham, mustard greens, black eye peas and parmesan.”

Entree prices will start at just $12. A beef sirloin listed at $29 will be the menu’s most expensive item.

Bailey also said there will be a new bar menu with offerings such as poppadews filled with pimento cheese and fried koolaid pickles.

Restaurant manager Sean Alves said there will be 20 wines available by the glass—10 red, nine white and one sparkling.

The adult beverage selection will also feature 12 cocktails.

“We’ll have six classics and six of our own creation,” Alves said.

Bailey said there might a naming contest for the new creations.

While the Evening Star—which will now accept reservations—and the Majestic Lounge will reopen Thursday, the No. 9 Lounge located upstairs remains a work in progress.

Lunch and brunch service will also not return right away. Alves said brunch service would return in early 2012. The return of lunch service is to be determined.