Friday, December 7, 2012
Old World, New Beginnings: Restaurant Design and Hurricane Sandy
Posted by Kristin Iversen on Fri, Dec 7, 2012 at 10:06 AM
Page 3 of 5
The success of Colonie enabled the trio to expand and, one year later, they opened Gran Eléctrica in DUMBO, which was soon followed by Governor, also in DUMBO. Although the three restaurants weren’t attempting to do the same thing either culinarily or stylistically, all are linked by the unified vision of Hamawi, Rosenberg, and Kihlstrom. Rosenberg says, “There are elements that tie together all three restaurants: communal seating, old and new, fresh and salvaged.” And there is no doubt the clarity of their vision is what allows them to take different directions in the design of each restaurant.
Gran Eléctrica has a marked sense of playfulness while not seeming at all gimmicky or obvious in its design. In a sense, the design reflects the cuisine, which Hamawi describes as “authentic Mexican with a greenmarket philosophy.”
In other words, both the food and the decor are traditional with a twist. Instead of the kind of margarita that is found at just about any Mexican restaurant in the city, Gran Eléctrica has a beet version whose vibrant pink hue belies its subtle earthiness. The walls are covered in what looks, from a distance, like traditional toile, but up close, black and white images take shape and reveal themselves to be Day of the Dead figures, in the style of artist José Guadalupe Posada, inhabiting an eerie DUMBO landscape. Jane’s Carousel is populated with skeletal horses and a haunted bride and groom grace the DUMBO waterfront. Housed in an historic Brooklyn waterfront building, Gran Eléctrica is imbued with charm and a rich past, while its design and cuisine nod to its history but look to the future.
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About The Author
Kristin Iversen
Kristin Iversen is the Managing Editor at Brooklyn Magazine and the L Magazine. She has been described as "a hipster buzzword made flesh." This seems pretty accurate.
