Cincinnati restaurateur Brad Bernstein, well-known for his upscale eateries Red Feather Kitchen in Oakley and Postmark in Clifton, is taking over Dutch’s Larder, which closed its doors at the beginning of 2020 due to professional and personal changes among the three former partners.
Bernstein is naming the “groceraunt” Red Feather Larder at Dutch’s and is anticipating opening this October.
Visitors to the longtime establishment can anticipate a similar business model when it reopens under Bernstein’s direction. In an interview with the restaurateur and chef, he explains that the space “will always be Dutch’s.”
“I am just infusing the Red Feather brand into the legacy,” he says.
Dutch’s opened in 1947 as a pony keg and expanded as an artisan larder, bar and eatery over the past decade.
Bernstein says that most of the elements will stay the same, including the layout of the space, but with an “enhanced offering.”
“In addition to the bar and dining offerings, we are eager to offer farm-to-table grocery items, and crafted curated artisanal products from around the world that are true to ‘slow food,'” he says.
Bernstein will also be implementing subscription and pre-order packages so that guests will have the opportunity to “shop like a chef.”
Bernstein’s interest in merging the hospitality experience with shoppability isn’t new. Prior to opening up Red Feather Kitchen, Bernstein conceptualized an “inside-out restaurant” called Red Feather Trade Co., where guests would dine inside of the prep storage space, so that visitors could see the ingredients that went into making his special meals, and also have the ability to purchase them.
“One of the best lessons that I share with my culinary colleagues, I learned from Thomas Keller (and it) is that the easiest way to become a better chef was to buy better ingredients. I have always wanted to show the ingredients that I use and showcase/highlight the great producers, artisans and farmers that are a fundamental part of what makes food amazing,” Bernstein explains.
This isn’t the only change happening in Bernstein’s realm of businesses.
Since the pandemic, Postmark has shifted its focus to reemerge as a wine shop and bistro, with “approachable elegance” at the forefront. The restaurant/shop is open for both dine-in and carry-out, with tables inside and on the sidewalk. They offer a selection of small plates and snacks, and over 400 wines to choose from.
Their team of sommeliers and wine enthusiasts are available to provide assistance when choosing the right bottle, and visitors can enjoy their wine at retail price when dining in. The eatery also features live music on Wednesdays and they are planning to offer events as well as host dinner parties in the future.
Red Feather Kitchen is currently operating as an upscale option for carry-out and delivery.
“The Red Feather brand is rough luxury. It is boisterous and high energy, it is fine dining meant to be enjoyed and shared with friends; that concept does not work well socially distanced or in a sterile environment,” Bernstein says. “Instead of reopening the restaurant, we decided to move forward (and) embrace carry-out and delivery, and created the Ghost of Red Feather offering our diners upscale fine dining to go.”
Their menu is available on both Uber Eats and DoorDash.
This article appears in The Burger Issue 2020.
