PA G E 8
|
CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS
S E P T E M B E R 4 - 10 , 2 017 |
At the Table
Marble Room brings back luster of classic Cleveland It’s easy to traffic in hyperbole, but Marble Room Steaks and Raw Bar is undoubtedly one of the region’s most stunning destinations. The restaurant, which opens Tuesday, Sept. 5, at the historic Garfield Building, 623 Euclid Ave., occupies an extraordinary space. Former home to the National City Bank headquarters, it is classic Joe Cleveland. Crea Built in 1893 by the sons of assassinated U.S. President James Garfield, the space was originally the home to Guardian Bank. It later became Cowell & Hubbard Jewelers, then the English Woolen Co. before National City took over the property during the 1920s. Visually, it’s a jaw-dropper — particularly for anyone unfamiliar with old Cleveland grandeur. Decked in pink marble, the main complex occupies roughly 10,000 square feet of space. Entering the opulent former bank lobby off of Euclid Avenue, guests pass through a small foyer into Marble Room’s lounge area, where a 19-seat bar topped by a glass-encased wine display runs along one side, a handsome raw bar bordering the other. The lounge itself seats 75 and opens into an expansive formal dining room. Massive pillars, topped by ornately carved capitals, rise to the ceilings.
Marble Room Steaks and Raw Bar executive chef Brandon Veres conducts a staff training session with an annotated tasting of key menu offerings. (Peggy Turbett for Crain’s)
The majestic gold-and-blue floral ceiling is punctuated by vast chandeliers. A series of friezes ring the upper limits of the room. Malisse Sinito, president of Millennia Hospitality Group (LockKeepers in Valley View), hosted a preview tour of the space last week. While preserving the bank’s original appointments, latter-day decora-
tive touches were integrated to preserve the building’s timeless quality. Soft fabrics in muted tones and matte-finish wood surfaces lend subtle luster. Oversized globe light fixtures were added “to bring the lighting down to a more human level,” Sinito said. Dramatic draperies in shades of khaki and taupe, hung high near the
40-feet ceilings, drop nearly to the floor. They confer a sense of privacy to the banquettes on either side of the main dining area. A massive, bronze-colored bull stands at the base of the grand staircase that leads up to private meeting and dining rooms. Initially, the property was meant to be home to Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse, a
Cincinnati-based chain. When that deal fell through, the Millennia organization — which is transforming the historic building into The Garfield, a 123-unit apartment building — reconsidered its options. “This had to be handled perfectly. There was no way we could mess this up,” Sinito said. A luxe steakhouse was the logical format, she added. “What else could you possibly do with a room this beautiful?” she asked, her gaze drifting across the cathedral-like space with its soaring ceilings and expanses of dusty pink stone. “Look at this opulence. In a space like this, anything else would have just been wrong. This is a place just made for a splash.” Of course, these days every new restaurant opening raises the specter of an overbuilt downtown dining scene. Sinito’s said she’s aware of potential cannibalization, but countered by adding that she can only focus on her mission to make the Marble Room a premier destination. “If we’d been setting out to find another place to open, you know, another restaurant, I’d really have to think long and hard about choosing a location downtown,” she said. “But when Frank (her husband, developer Frank Sinito, CEO of the Millennia Cos. and new owners of Key Tower) set his sights on the historic Garfield Building, and then the Jeff Ruby’s deal fell through, it was a done deal.” SEE MARBLE, PAGE 25
DON’T MISS OUT
CRAIN’S
FORTY UNDER 40
40 CO-PRESENTING SPONSOR
PHOTO SPONSOR
TECHNOLOGY PARTNER
4
SAVE THE DATE! Nov. 20, 2017
6-9pm
TENK WEST BANK 2111 Center St., Cleveland
REGISTRATION COMING SOON!
www.crainscleveland.com/40u40
#Crains40
EVENT/REGISTRATION QUESTIONS: Megan Lemke at 216-771-5182 or mlemke@crain.com SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Nicole Mastrangelo at 216-771-5158 or nmastrangelo@crain.com