It’s almost all-systems-go at the Black Pig (2801 Bridge Ave., 216-862-7551, theblackpigcleveland.com), which recently relocated from its two-year-old home on W. 25th Street to the former Light Bistro (and Parker’s) property at the corner of Bridge Avenue and W. 28th Street. The restaurant is holding reservation-only soft-open dinners tonight and tomorrow night before opening up full bore on Thursday. Diners must call to reserve spots for tonight’s service, but can use Open Table to book a for spot tomorrow night or thereafter.
Chef-owner Mike Nowak and chef de cuisine Adam Lambert will be easing into the full menu as the week goes on, reports Nowak, so that by the end of week, the entire new menu will be in play. That menu, by the way, is 85-percent different from the last iteration.
“The space is beautiful and the food is coming out exactly how we want it to,” Nowak says during a quick break. “We’re paying real close attention to how everything comes out now so we don’t have to make any adjustments down the road. That’s why we’re easing into it.”
Changes to the interior since the Light Bistro days include a new bar, new paint, new carpet, new layout and new kitchen. The color palette has gone from a red-hued mahogany interior to a more elegant one with blacks and greys. By removing the retail wine section that separated the front barroom from the rear dining room, Nowak was able to better unify the entire space. A new lounge area for table-waiting or simple enjoying cocktails will take the place of the retail displays.
Seating downstairs jumps from 50 to 70, plus more at the new bar. A reconfigured private dining room on the second floor can accommodate another 50.
