With the last couple of years in the
pandemic, it's been a minute since a new restaurant opening, top-to-bottom, blew
me away. But here I stand, basking in the afterglow of my experiences at the new Saints + Council,
just opened in the revamped Colony Square. This is easily the most impressive new restaurant on the scene in years, a stunner from the mind of William
Pitts, the former CEO of Café Intermezzo who designed the restaurant stem to stern.
Park below (bring ticket for validation) and walk up through the valley of skyscrapers to the entrance. There you are greeted by a roaring
fireplace that opens up into a great hall with vaulted ceilings, candle-like
chandeliers and heavy wooden crossbeams.
Imagine a cozy, bougie lodge in Aspen or the Hamptons or if Yellowstone
Ranch got a modern, rustic makeover. It's gorgeous, warm and just a place you want
to park yourself for a while…which is precisely Mr. Pitts' intent.
Saints + Council was designed for patrons to linger and to break down some of the rigidity of traditional restaurants. Start by scanning a QR code at your table which not only unleashes the menu but also a brilliant system where you order what you want and a "butterfly," the nickname for the server, that brings it to your table. No more forced, awkward interactions with staff robotically or obsequiously trying to please; you simply drive your experience at the pace you like and they execute your desires. And the food and drink menu offers desires aplenty: open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you find yourself inventing ways to end up there--a meeting, a quick nosh, a dinner party with friends.
At breakfast choose from extensive options ranging from smoked salmon to mountain trout to savory omelets to sweet Dutch babies. At lunch and dinner start with a lovely oyster service and a mix of shared plates like charcuterie, crispy apricot pork belly and a Mediterranean mezze plate, there are lots to choose from on this eclectic menu. Salads, sandwiches, a truly divine burger, seafood, and more—each dish I tried had a little something special to it, nothing too elaborate or show-offy, just something to make it memorable and enjoyable. For dessert at dinner be sure to order the S'mores and Fondue for 2 which comes to the table with a small open flame to roast your own marshmallows. Wow-factor touches like this are sure to set off the Instagram buzz. The craft cocktails are special as well, some even come with S+C logoed ice cubes.
Colony Square continues its astonishing
transformation from a development desert to my favorite mixed-use warren of retail
and restaurants. Saints + Council is yet
another reason to check out the mini-city if you haven't already. The story behind the name Saints + Council is that "saints" and "council" represent our mortal bests--happily, restaurant embodiment does the same.
