Scott Crawford Opening New Restaurant
From the News & Observer...
“Scott Crawford is bringing a bit of Paris to Person Street.
When Crawford opened Crawford and Son a year and a half ago, he also founded a restaurant group, Crawford Hospitality, signaling much more was on the way. It was just a matter of time.
It appears that time has come.
Crawford is opening his second Raleigh restaurant: a French bistro named Jolie next door to Crawford and Son on the corner of North Person and Pace streets. Jolie is named for Crawford’s daughter and is also the French word for pretty.
Crawford said Jolie is aiming for a fall opening in late October or early November.
Bistro is one of those restaurant words so often used it sometimes loses its meaning, attached to everything from upscale spots to casual fare, possibly with French cuisine nowhere to be found.
Jolie, though, comes from the source, inspired by a recent family trip to Paris where Crawford said they ate in a dozen bistros over 10 days. To him, a bistro is incredibly specific, a cozy realm for casual French classics in a lively setting.
”A true Parisian bistro is inviting, vibrant, happy, serving simple delicious food,” said Crawford, a five-time James Beard Award semifinalist. “It’s simple in design, it’s simple in what we put on the plate. The fish is cooked perfectly, the steak is cooked correctly. The attention to detail will go into the execution of that simple food. Friendly, warm, knowledgeable service. There’s nothing really complicated about it.”
The menu will feature French standards like steak frites, croque madame, rabbit cassoulet, plus modern liberties, like turnip vichyssoise with smoked trout and caviar, and foie gras-stuffed chicken. The wine and beer list will be exclusively French, with cocktails focused on aperitifs.
Though side by side, Jolie and Crawford and Son will stand in stark contrast. Crawford and Son is a dark space of gray, brick and wood that Crawford himself calls a bit masculine. He says Jolie will be bright and pretty, a corner spot filled with light from outside.
Seating will be even less than Crawford and Son, with tables for 35 and a bartop for 10. The narrow Person Street sidewalks won’t allow for outdoor seating, but there will be a rooftop deck. ...”