OH, C NU GALLERY

Other than new restaurants, 2007 would also seem to be a bumper crop year for restaurants adding on private dining rooms. The latest to expand is Harry Kambolis' fiefdom at the foot of Howe St.


Tonight, C and Nu christen a new private dining area they will share in the small, ground level building that stands in the space between the two restaurants (just off the seawall walk and next to the parking lot).

For some time now the site has sat empty, and nicknamed by the C and Nu staff as "The Cafe", it was originally intended for use as a casual espresso bar/lunch cafe and gourmet items retail store. That is until Kambolis starting dealing with the industry wide staffing shortages of last summer and realized that if he had similar problems in the future with an operating cafe on his hands, he or his managers could conceivably end up pulling cappuccinos all day.

Obviously a better option was to utilize the space for private meetings and dinner parties, using the kitchen at Nu as the catering commissary. Kambolis estimates that they currently have enough requests on the books to be able to accommodate parties of up to 30 people in the space, a least twice a month.

When we took the photos above, the furnishings in the room were still being assembled, but it looks as if in the long narrow space, they are going for one double-sided table in a room of clean, spare lines, using modern floral bouquets and wall paintings by Harry's artist wife Michelle as the only adornment.

Which would seem fitting for a venue now to be known as "The Gallery".