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Swan Dive is located at 805 N. Davis St. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
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The interior of Swan Dive was designed by chef and owner Kevin Roberts. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
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Swan Dive's max occupancy is 60 people. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
Swan Dive, the highly anticipated restaurant from chef and owner Kevin Roberts, formerly of The Black Sheep, is set to take flight the first week of June and bring French-style cuisine to 805 N. Davis St.
The road to open Swan Dive has been a long one for Roberts — he expected to open six months ago but ran into delays related to zoning, closing The Black Sheep and family responsibilities.
The anticipatory feeling felt by Roberts, and the local dining community, is also echoed by the restaurant's neighbors. As I sit at one of the black resurfaced tables, someone walking by peers inside, opens the door and asks if the restaurant is open.
“We live right next door,” the gentleman says, his eyes scanning the renovated restaurant. “We’ve been peeking in the windows every time we pass.”
Roberts says this happens every day.
“Some days I have to lock the door and pull down the blinds,” he says jokingly.
With any luck, those passersby will turn into regulars, and those regulars will transform Swan Dive into the corner spot and neighborhood sanctuary Roberts envisions.
“I was excited to get into this space because of the neighbors. ... When they walk by, they say, ‘I can’t wait!’ and I’m like, ‘You can't wait?’ ” says Roberts, laughing. “This is the albatross around my neck right now.”
Roberts has been a part of restaurant openings in the past (Perly’s, The Black Sheep), but never as the sole owner. Roberts left The Black Sheep, a venture he co-owned with partner Amy Hess, in November 2017, leaving behind the beloved battleship subs, but also a smaller space that lacked parking, an easily accessible walk-in cooler, a dumpster and, most importantly, the capacity to grow. The Black Sheep also dealt with a summer of plumbing and sewer issues that caused them to close for days at a time before finally shutting their doors for good.
“Now I kind of have a clean slate, and I had headaches with that building and location,” says Roberts. “Just to have my own dumpster is awesome. ... I parked right out front; that would happen once in a blue moon [at the old location].”
It’s the little things.
Roberts has transformed the former gas station, most recently the Betty on Davis space, into his version of a dive bar. The walls are decorated with a hodgepodge of decor, including prints purchased from thrift stores, personal pieces from “art school days,” a brass swan, a globe and assorted pottery.
The bar sports seven refurbished black faux alligator-skin stools, where future patrons can enjoy martinis, a Narragansett lager, or a Je m’appelle Lili, a specialty cocktail created by Roberts' wife, Rachelle, made using Tito’s Vodka, Lillet Rose, Dolin Blanc, simple syrup, lemon and egg white.
The vibe inside is slightly eclectic, slightly homey — a mix between the decor of your grandmother’s house and that of a hipster with the thrift-store hookup — milk-glass lamps, vintage pieces and brass figurines are scattered throughout.
“I can definitely see Grandma’s house, but I don’t think she’ll have a silk screen of Broad Street on her wall,” says Roberts. “It’s a little more urban, cosmopolitan, European — it’s all kind of tongue and cheek and silly and playful but also kind of sharp.”
The deep coral and light blue walls were painted and stenciled by Roberts, who was fully involved in the remodeling process. He proudly points out small details he’s added that aid in the ambiance he's striving to create: black chairs accented by golden birds, maroon cafe curtains he installed, the painted border around the original silver tin ceiling, a nautical-themed bathroom and a crocheted horse wall hanging.
The menu, reminiscent of a Parisian bistro, blends traditional and nontraditional flavors with modern techniques. A section is dedicated to croques monsieurs, including a classic Le President with gruyere, ham and bechamel, and the Mary and Bert with aged white cheddar, fresh-ground sausage and roasted-onion bechamel.
Roberts and his wife traveled to Paris a few years ago, and he found himself wanting to re-create the simple and delicious flavors they fell in love with at hole-in-the-wall restaurants.
“It’s a one-page menu, very much like a bistro or cafe … all very simple,” says Roberts. “Kind of using Parisian bistros as an inspiration to bring something to the area that isn’t happening anywhere else in town.”
The menu features a variety of salads, including a classic nicoise and a seafood “shells of light,” which blends light, sweet and acidic flavors of shrimp, crab, mango, grapefruit, pineapple and avocado with a house-made papaya dressing.
All sandwiches will be served with waffle fries and pickles. The European theme is reflected in the selection of cheeses available for the Jacques in the Box burger, made from fresh ground brisket, which include Muenster, Gruyere, Camembert, Fourme d ‘Ambert, aged white cheddar and goat. The Le Club Rose is an elevated version of a club sandwich: salmon filet, bacon, Dijon mustard, watercress, creamy shrimp and cucumber salad, sliced tomato, red onion, and roasted pain de campagne (French sourdough).
Dinner service offers diners the option of a three-course prix-fixe menu — a salad or soup, an entree (chicken, veal, pasta or fish), and a third course consisting of either dessert or a cheese plate for $22, paired with a glass of wine for $28 — in addition to the rest of the menu.
As for the name?
“I was kidding around with someone and said, 'This is the last time I’m doing this; I should just name it Swan Song, kind of like your last hurray,' and he said, ‘What about Swan Dive?’ ” says Roberts. “I said I love that name ... [the] heart [of the space] is still a dive bar, and that’s what I was going for.”
Roberts says although there’s a tinge of nostalgia as he begins his newest culinary adventure and leaves The Black Sheep behind, he’s ready for something new.
“I’m looking forward to this next chapter,” he says. “It won’t be a house of battleships, but hopefully [diners will] respond. I think it’ll be a more neighborhood-y thing than The Black Sheep was.”
Swan Dive is slated to open at 805 N. Davis St. in The Fan the first week of June, beginning with lunch and then adding dinner service. Roberts has crafted a bunch menu but is working on zoning issues before he can begin Sunday service. The restaurant will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
