Credit: Douglas Trattner
Partners Brett Sawyer, Jonah Oryszak and Vince Thomascik, chef-owner, owner and chef de cuisine of the Plum, respectively, have just signed a lease on the former Vita Urbana space in Battery Park. That short-lived restaurant and retail marketplace, located at the Shoreway Building, closed this past December.

When it opens in the next couple months, Good Company (1200 W. 76th St.) will be a departure from the formula at the Plum (4133 Lorain Ave., 216-938-8711). While everything still will be made from scratch using the best possible ingredients, the finished products will be decidedly more approachable and familiar.

“We love doing food the way we do it here at the Plum; it keeps things fresh,” explains Sawyer. “But we were looking to do something completely different. It’s still food that we love to do, but on the simpler side. We are going back to the basics with simple bar food that’s done very, very well.”

Sawyer describes Good Company as “an updated sports bar” that will appeal to vegans, vegetarians, families and everybody else who likes good-quality but unfussy fare. In addition to the cold beer and flat-screens, there will be Cobb salads, “smash” burgers, fried mushrooms, fried chicken sandwiches, veggie burgers, and hearty mains like chicken parmesan and chicken paprikash. Plum-style items like cured and fried chicken wings and beer-battered celery root with vegan ranch dressing will likely make appearances. Family friendly foods like chicken fingers will also be on hand.

“The idea is to be more of a neighborhood spot, where if you and your kids are coming back from a day at Edgewater Beach you can stop in and there’s something for everybody,” adds Sawyer.

Credit: Douglas Trattner
While the attractive space with an open kitchen is essentially turn-key, the partners will warm up the space and make it more conducive to the concept. Tables will be swapped out for booths and the rear retail section will be turned into semi-private dining space for events and overflow seating. A new catering kitchen in the rear will help service the building’s tenants and the community at large.

A new lot will be set aside for restaurant parking.

Look for Good Company to open in time for the holiday season. When it does, the restaurant will likely be open for happy hour and dinner only plus football Sundays. 

This article appears in Aug 29 – Sep 4, 2018.

For 25 years, Douglas Trattner has worked as a full-time freelance writer, editor and author. His work as co-author on Michael Symon's cookbooks have earned him four New York Times Best-Selling Author honors, while his longstanding role as Scene dining editor has garnered awards of its own.