Fifteen years ago, Felice opened in a warm and woodsy Craftsman-style home on Larchmere Boulevard. This weekend, Poppy (12502 Larchmere Blvd.) will open in that same turn-of-the-century property. The restaurant is now in the hands of Jill Vedaa and Jessica Parkison, who took the reins from the previous owners on the first of the year. Eager diners can begin making reservations for dinner this Friday, March 10.
The 115-year-old building has never looked better. A mahogany fireplace anchors the main dining room, where exposed wood beams crisscross the ceiling and original wood flooring spans the space. What had been used primarily as a service bar in recent history has been returned to its initial function as a four-seat cocktail bar. Upstairs on the second floor, the main bar was removed, the floors and walls were patched, and the room was converted to a proper dining room. The third floor is no longer a public space. All told, Poppy seats about 75 guests on two floors and the enclosed front porch.
Vedaa’s menu takes its cues from around the globe. For this restaurant, the chef prefers to not pigeonhole herself into any specific cuisine. The menu is divided into categories for vegetables, fish and meat, with plates growing in size within those categories as well as across the page. Salt fans might catch one or two crossover dishes, but otherwise this is an all new collection. Vedaa says that diners can expect some seasonal tweaks but not the “hyper-seasonal” changes that take place at Salt in Lakewood.
On June 1, that spectacular garden patio and carriage-house bar will open for the season. At that time, menu items will take advantage of the wood-burning pizza oven and grill. In early October, the outdoor bar will close for renovations. When it reopens the following month, it will be as a year-round amenity.
Poppy will be dinner-only Wednesday through Saturday to start. Weekday lunches will be added in a couple weeks.
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This article appears in Feb 22 – Mar 7, 2023.
