Scheduled to open in about a month, Brass Monkey (401 N. Morgan St., no phone yet) brings back top toque Kendal Duque, who since garnering accolades for opening Sepia has jumped around town, from City Tavern to American Junkie. “I’m just always looking for a home where I can really hunker down, and hopefully this will be it,” he says.
The owner, Marc Bushala (Untitled), conceived of Brass Monkey as 4,000 square feet of a 90,000-square-foot building that will also house a distillery and office space, located a couple of blocks north of the Next-Moto-Aviary area and a little south and east of the Coalfire-Two stretch of Grand Avenue.
The 120-ish-seat restaurant will classify as an American take on a French brasserie, with a 1970s air. “[Bushala] has a soft spot for the ’70s,” Duque says.
Some of the dishes Duque plans:
- Foie gras with cherry-brandy sauce, pistachio, and brioche
- Sloppy Sliders—mini sloppy Joes made primarily with lamb
- Lobster croque-monsieur
- House-made pork pâté, as well as seasonal tartares and sausages
- Trout amandine, except with cashew sauce instead of almond
- Hanger steak with bone marrow sauce and a bourbon demi-glace
- Duck breast and duck leg confit with plantain, long beans, and bordelaise sauce
The 1970s will appear in, for example, chocolate fondue for dessert and cocktails such as Harvey Wallbangers. And all customers are required to wear leisure suits. Just kidding. It’s bell-bottoms.