SOU! opens today at 9980 Linn Station Rd. in Plainview. It’s an amazing feat given my visit earlier this week.
“We said November 1st, so we’re sticking to it.”
That’s what co-owner Ashley Sayler told me Monday, October 29. Her confident tone defied the scene surrounding us: a construction crew bustling in the background; furniture and plateware still in boxes; a front-of-house team mingling after a meeting; the barren island bar anchoring the dining room.
By the end of the week, Sayler continues, the bar would be filled with a full range of wine and spirits. She adds that the menu will include pairing recommendations to improve guests’ experiences. Like the bar – which utilizes the old filling station – other aspects are chic upgrades of the Skyline it once housed. The dining room still seats just shy of 100, but it now features a wall-length banquette and communal waiting space. The lunch counter planted in front of the open kitchen concept has been outfitted as a chef’s table. The massive steam table that once centered the kitchen has been replaced with a full gas range and combo oven.
While the restaurant is initially serving dinner only, Sayler projects they’ll offer lunch by the end of the year. “With our POS system, I can actually send one of our servers across the street to take orders, send them back to the kitchen, and process payments, so people in the Appriss building can order lunch without even leaving their desk.”
Those orders will beam back to Chef James Moran, a veteran of Seviche, 8UP Drinkery, and The Pine Room, as well as a Beard House attendee. When I ask if Chef Moran is taking a day to rest, Sayler laughs. “Oh no, he’s actually at a prep kitchen putting together everything for our soft openings.”
For readers keeping track, that’s an introductory staff meeting, a complete unpacking, two soft openings, and dozens of hours of prep all within four days of today’s grand opening. It’s a wind-up so massive that my head was spinning as it was recited it. Sayler, the disciplined event planner she is, was calm and collect, passively ticking a mental checklist all the while.
Here is a link to their website. Reservations are highly recommended.
