“When we did carry-out, we did awesome, but the second that patios opened, we just went dead,” Mendlovic explains. “And I don’t blame people, but it wasn’t worth it to us to stay open and pay all those bills.”
But now, as thoughts turn to fall, Mendlovic says that he and team members like chef Andrew Nichols and General Manager Nikki Williams have reconsidered next steps. After much deliberation, they will reopen Umami (42 North Main St.) in a limited but creative fashion.
“People are really clamoring for the food we are making,” he says. “Not a day goes by when a person doesn’t reach out to ask when we are reopening, so we decided we might as well put something together.”
Beginning next week, Umami will be offer a carry-out menu on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. On Thursdays, the restaurant will be open for dine-in service by reservation only, with a handful of tables. There will be no carry-out service on Thursdays given the small size of the kitchen.
Mendlovic says that already, after just a little word of mouth, the dine-in tables are booked through the first month.
Chef Nichols is presently updating the carry-out menu to be more fall-focused. On Thursdays, he will feature more creative specials.
Interested diners should call the restaurant to reserve a spot.
This article appears in Sep 9-22, 2020.
