David Blomster and an alum from Boon Eat + Drink is opening a temporary Korean-American Diner beginning December 1, 2012. The pop-up will operate inside Pat’s Restaurant, a breakfast and lunch spot.
Here are some further details from David:
Hours:
5pm – 10pm
Friday and Saturday
5pm – 11pm
closed Monday
I wanted to create a name and concept that would present a cohesive package. Hi Five is a Korean/American Diner with an emphasis on playful and eclectic combinations, sometimes bordering on silly. The Menu is broken down into 5 categories with 5 items in each. There are 5 menu items called Hi Five X 1 = $5 and 5 menu items called Hi Five X 2 = $10 and so on up to Hi Five x 5 = $25 with only one in that category and it is the Hi Five Surprise (weekly special). The atmosphere is very casual, the music will be slightly loud, the servers will wear what they want and the menu items will be thoroughly accessible yet deceptively sophisticated.
Our location is a Pat’s. A restaurant that has been there for about 60 years. They will continue serving breakfast and lunch and Hi Five will be serving dinner. It is an authentic Northern California “50’s” Diner that seats about 70 people. The front has a stainless steel wall and spinning counter stools with four booths. The back has the feeling of a forgotten lodge with wood sided walls, a fireplace and painted antique saws hung without a care for design. Also, connected to the restaurant is a “dive” bar in all of its authenticity. Although I come from an art and design background, this particular restaurant is not a space I could have designed. Which is why I love it so much. There are many quirky “non-designed” aesthetic decisions that have been made over the 60+ years the restaurant has existed and I feel that leaving them all in place supports our concept in a way I never dreamed of. The aesthetic contrasts are as bountiful as the contrasts on our Menu.
My Chef and business partner is Eugene Birdsall. While I more or less curated the menu to fit the concept, it is Eugene’s creation. Eugene has been cooking in Sonoma County and Baltimore for the past decade and grew up cooking traditional korean dishes with his Mother. We met next door at boon eat + drink where I had been the manager for the past 3.5 years and Eugene was the Chef for a couple of those years.
A few menu items:
Fried Sonoma Brinery Pickles with Sausalito Springs watercress + Kimchi aioli
Kimchi pierogies with potato, house made kimchi, cotija and pluot plum sauce
A selection of noodle bowls with market vegetables a choice of stock and a choice of tofu, pork belly, OB beer battered shrimp, KFC or hot dog
Korean Fried Crack (the other KFC) with vanilla slaw and buttered bread
Hi Five Bo Ssam with house made kimchi, butchered garlic, chili peppers, rice, butter leaf lettuce and Ssamjang with a choice of tofu, pork belly, KFC, LA kalbi or Kurobuta spicy pork
16236 Main St., Guerneville.