Beauty & Grace's custom wallpaper features life-size photos of Richmond Ballet dancers. (Photo courtesy of Wong Gonzalez)
When he bought the old Paradise Beauty Salon building at 412 E. Grace St., EAT Restaurant Partners owner Chris Tsui knew that the restaurant group's new Beauty & Grace concept would be best located in the mezzanine. This Saturday, July 16, Beauty & Grace — the restaurant within new downtown spot Wong Gonzalez — will open with a view of the Latin-Asian fusion restaurant and bar below, while providing a concept of its own: weekly 24-seat omakase experiences, with drink pairings available. This Saturday's dinner, priced at $35 and held at 7:30 p.m., will include four courses and center around sushi, and in true omakase form, the selection will be left up to the chef. These multi-course dinners are the only meals to be offered by Beauty & Grace, and are set to take place every Friday and Saturday, by reservation only.
In 2012, James Beard Award-winning chef José Andrés opened Minibar inside Café Atlántico, and the six-seat restaurant quickly became one of the hottest reservations to acquire in Washington, D.C. The concept was simple: Offer a multi-course, chef-chosen menu at a fixed price, combine it with creative alcohol pairings and thusly create a theatrical experience for the diner. Sushi chef Jimmy Malone, formerly of Sushi-O and Wild Ginger, and a trainee of Hai Troung, studied graphic design and is looking to incorporate creative visual aspects in his four dishes at each meal. Demi Ripley, bar manager, will produce the drink pairings at an additional $25 per guest; in order to better accommodate, the beverage menu will feature two options for each course. Diners will have exclusive access to the Beauty & Grace/Wong Gonzalez upstairs bar and mezzanine for the remainder of the evening.
Reservations are limited, so we advise you email chris.staples@eatrestaurantpartners.com at your earliest convenience. Phone reservations will be available for future dinners.
Without further ado, here is Saturday night's menu:
Course One:
Charred Beet Steak
Golden Beet Purée with Watermelon Radish Carpaccio
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Course Two:
Nigiri Sampler
Sweet Shrimp Ratatouille, Tuna with Daikon Jelly, Yellowtail Smoked with Red Beet Purée, Eel with Quail Hollandaise, Seared Salmon with Meyer Lemon Purée
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Course Three:
End of the Rainbow Roll
Ahi Tuna, Yellowtail, Fresh Mango and Avocado Rolled in Dandelion Petals and Togarashi, with Purple Yam Purée
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Course Four
Poached Pear in Honey and Jasmine Tea
Garnished with Anise and Cinnamon
Beauty & Grace is located within Wong Gonzalez at 412 E. Grace St., and will host its first dinner on Saturday, July 16, at 7:30 p.m.
