Bar Blanc, the sister concept to Chef Ford Fry’s recently opened Little Sparrow, is expected to open upstairs at Westside Provisions District on Nov. 14.
The eateries come from Rocket Farm Restaurants (The Optimist, BeetleCat), which is owned by Fry, and will be located at 1198 Howell Mill Road.
Bar Blanc will be a steak friterie. According to Executive Chef Bob Ryan, the upstairs eatery will share a kitchen with Little Sparrow, but that’s just about where the similarities end.
“It compliments Little Sparrow in the fact that the food is coming from the same kitchen, there’s still the same heart and soul,” Ryan said. “It differs in almost everything. We’re trying not to mention Little Sparrow at all up here.”
The decor, Ryan said, is a little more dark and sophisticated. The bar is all dark wood and brass, with plush velvet and leather dotting the decor. The word that comes to mind is “rebellious.” Music will play a big part in the restaurant’s energy, with Euro dance music, French hip hop, and Americana indie tracks playing in the background.
“Upstairs, it’s kind of minimal,” Ryan said. “Get the food on the table. Get out of the guests’ way, and let them enjoy their time here.”
The menu at Bar Blanc will be a prix fixe menu for $49.50 a person. Everyone starts out with a salad of seasonal mixed greens, sherry vinaigrette and some aged cheese; and a three-day sourdough baguette made by Chef Linton Hopkins, served with grass-fed butter smothered with olive oil and crunchy salt. Then, guests will receive a plate of steak frites – french fries cooked three times tossed in dry aged beef fat and prime ribeye served with a bernaise. The beverage menu will feature wine, a rotating local lager and ale on draft, and an assortment of cocktails.
According to Ryan, the idea to have a prix fixe menu was inspired by French and New York restaurants that have done similar things.
“What if we take that concept and that idea, but turn it into what we would want,” Ryan said. “What’s a really perfect meal? A fantastic salad, a really awesome steak and great french fries.”
Bar Blanc is expected to open on Nov. 14. The restaurant will be open from 5-11 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and 5 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. The restaurant is closed Sunday and Monday.