With so many new restaurants readying for fall debuts, we're here to keep you updated on the important projects. Thus, the Fall Tracking Report.
Initial Projection: May
Current Projection: October/November
After opening popular bars like Seven Grand and Golden Gopher, Cedd Moses taking on a restaurant landmark like Cole's Pacific Electric Buffet seemed odd but a good fit. After all, he's taken several rundown downtown locations and renovated with an eye towards mixing classic with the new, and after 100 years, Cole's needed that kind of TLC. From early Plywood shots, it looked like a lot of the original Cole's remained intact, which was a good thing. Then Moses brought on chef Neal Fraser (Grace, BLD) as a consultant, and they promised not to remake the French dip (there's heated debate over where the sandwich originated, Cole's or Philippe), but to make it better. While Fraser is a great chef, fans were on the fence.
After missing the spring target date, we heard Septemberish, and now LAist reports Cole's should open around October/November. By the looks of these photos we snapped over the weekend, that's just about on track. Not sure what part of the restaurant they were working on here---the drywall might scare the preservationists---but once a space is in this phase, it's amazing how fast things move along. The who-has-the-better-French-dip smack talk continues, so expect some celebrations to commemorate the 100-year-old sandwich from both Cole's and Philippe this fall.
· The Shutter: Cedd Moses Buys/Closes Cole's For Renovations [~ELA~]
· Cedd Moses, Neal Fraser Recreate Cole's French Dip [~ELA~]
· Eater Inside: Cole's Construction Update [~ELA~]
· EaterWire: Cole's Chef Search [~ELA~]
