Leaf opened its doors for business last week, but finding out anything about the restaurant has proven to be a real task, which is strange in this era of social media and celebrity chefs when just a door opening can get hyped beyond belief.
Here’s what I know: they are located in the former Vickery’s space at 15 Beaufain St.; Pierre Estoppey is one of the owners (I believe there are three); John Zucker of Cru Café was involved in some way, perhaps as a consultant for the menu, and I’m pretty sure they don’t want anyone to know about them. Seriously. They won’t call us back. They don’t have a presence on the web. No Facebook, no Twitter, no nothing. Their number on Urbanspoon is wrong.
I won’t pretend to understand.
But since we’re living in a digital world, details are spreading. A blogger has already written a review. A couple friends have tweeted/facebooked about their experiences.
I have a copy of the menu from their soft opening, which, in design and type of food, reminds me a lot of Graze in Mt. Pleasant. There’s a variety of styles and flavors, from mussels escebeche and shepherd’s pie to po’ boys, burgers, and fire-roasted crab and corn. One friend of mine reported that Leaf was pretty awesome with “a great patio and burgers.”
It looks like they’ve done an extensive renovation, completely transforming the dark multi-level Vickery’s bar into a smooth, modern space with light colors and a pleasing layout (I haven’t been by there yet, but I found some photos via Twitter).
So there you have it. I suggest you do what the owners must be hoping you will do: stop by and try it for yourself. Then, by all means, report back and tell us all what you think. I’ll do the same.
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