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Battalion, the new restaurant from chef Stefan Bowers and restaurateur Andrew Goodman, will open sometime between Feb. 21 and March 1, Goodman said this week.
The Express-News reached out to Goodman after a post on Bowers' Instagram feed said, "Battalion is now taking applicants. ... Cleaning crew is here, equipment arrives this week, opening day is right around the corner."
Goodman said the actual opening date depends on a few inspections and other factors that aren't always predictable in the extensive renovation of the old Fire Station No. 7. He said that although the restaurant has a website, battalionsa.com, its Facebook page will be a better source for announcements.
RELATED: New Southtown restaurant from Feast, Rebelle team: Battalion
What is predictable is that the already solid team behind Feast and Rebelle is planning a menu of Italian all-stars at the renovated fire station, with dishes from the north, south, Sicily and points throughout the country. Bowers will lead the kitchen with chef Zeke Cavazos, Goodman said.
An impromptu tour of the site — which did not include permission for photos, sadly — revealed a space with tall sash windows and a 360-degree view of the city, epoxy floors swirled like a thunderstorm, scalloped silver glass tiles across a broad downstairs bar, chrome chandeliers, three original firepoles and staircases that accentuate the 1926 building's angles like an M.C. Escher print.
RELATED: Review: Feast keeps the faith in Southtown
The big upstairs kitchen is tiled in gray with chrome racing stripes and features an expo counter of feathered black marble. Even the elevator to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act is a floor-to-ceiling design trophy, painted fire-engine red.
Goodman is designing the restaurant with Lori Urbano of Urbano Design & Build in San Antonio, with graphics by the local design firm Hilmy.
"It's a great space," Goodman said. "It's a combination of old and new. It just has a real European feel."
msutter@express-news.net
Twitter: @fedmanwalking
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