After enjoying lunch at Luzvina’s, corner of Parkside and Russell Street (see potential), I swung by Prish Moran’s future S7 Cafe to see how work was progressing. In true Prish fashion, the interior had been gutted and the rebuilding of the space had begun. Beautiful transom windows had been uncovered, giving an immediate sense of old world style to the corner – why anyone would cover these up (even with drop ceilings) is a mystery to me. After ripping up four layers of flooring, Prish was able to salvage the original wood floor – once again, who covers that character up? The low hanging drop ceilings have been removed, and an unexpected twist has been added to the ceiling – Prish had roughhewn planks and beams installed (reuse) to give the feel of something… medieval?
It was Prish who actually told me that the front door was going to have a medieval appearance to it once in place. The faux paint had begun to take on a stone appearance in one corner (just as she had faux painted brick in the original Sweet_ness 7), the ductwork has been painted blue, and bits of exposed brick added to the flare that was being pieced together with the help of antiquated bars and cabinetry. If you are familiar with what this space used to look like, then you know what sort of transformation is taking place. Even the whimsical exterior paint job mimics some of the past Buffalo establishments that we have only seen in postcards.
I have a feeling that we have not heard the last of Prish’s interest in the neighborhood. Once she sinks her teeth into a project, it’s hard to keep her focused – her eyes start to wander as she envisions the potential for the entire street (like Goldman and Frenchy). As for Parkside… there is plenty of opportunity for others to jump onboard. This is just the start…