Heavy Restaurant Group Bringing New Restaurant to Brooks Running Building

The new-ish Brooks Running headquarters at 3400 Stone Way N in Wallingford is getting a new restaurant in December. Thackeray, a project of the Heavy Restaurant Group (Purple, Barrio, Meet the Moon), will serve seasonally-inspired fare from chef Jon Langley, previously executive chef of Purple Cafe in Kirkland.

The new spot, which was announced with scant details in January for a possible summer 2016 opening, borrows its name from 19th century English novelist William Makepeace Thackeray, who popularized the term "bohemian" in his 1848 novel "Vanity Fair."

The restaurant hopes to borrow from the free-wheeling spirit of the term with its eclectic menu, which will bring together mezze spreads, braised meatball subs, hamachi crudo, lemon-anchovy charred broccoli, Ethiopian-spiced fried chicken, ancient grain risotto, and a house burger. There will be lunch and dinner on weekdays, plus a weekend brunch.

The group's spirits director, Casey Robison, and wine director, Chris Horn, have developed the drinks menu. It will feature an assortment of spirits, cocktails, wine, and beer, including a Spanish-style gin and tonic menu and several aperitifs, amari and sipping vermouth options. A rotating tap list will pour local beers, cocktails, and kombucha.

You'll have to wait and see whether the restaurant draws the free-spirited artists and literary types of its purposeful theme. Check back for updates as the opening approaches.