After a backlash from the community regarding cultural appropriation, which led to multiple name changes, Corvus and Co. (formerly Spirit Animal then Spirit and Animal) is finally ready to welcome the world to its spectacular space. The restaurant from Paul Berryman and Izzy Guymon, who are also responsible for the bar program, holds a public soft opening today and its official opening tomorrow.
Take a spin around the intriguing interior in the photos above, transformed significantly from the building's days as The Byzantion; owls, bears, and other mystical creatures overlook gold and warm wood tones offset with bright reds, contrasting neatly with the blue and black exterior and the titular crow of the logo.
For the kitchen, Corvus and Co. scored Ernest Loves Agnes' Mac Jarvis, who tells Eater this is "a chance for me to get back to the style of food I know well and love," the Levantine cuisine of many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries. See a sample menu below, featuring such treats as paprika-spiced latkes, eggplant and tabbouleh salad, cardamom-spiced doughnuts, and shawarma sandwich-style with protein options like lamb, chicken, and chickpeas.
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Chef Mac Jarvis. [Photo: Tanner Mclaughlin, courtesy of Mac Jarvis]
"I love how versatile the food can be," Jarvis says. "I was told as a young chef that even putting a label on your style of food doesn't mean you have to fall within the region authentically; we can only take inspiration and create dishes from there. I in no way am trying to replicate the perfect Kibbeh or Falafel but it's going to be delicious."
601 Broadway E, (206) 420-8488, Facebook. Open daily 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. with kitchen service 4 to 11 p.m. and Happy Hour 4 to 6 p.m. featuring $2 off wells, $2 off specialty cocktails, and $2 Hamm's — food specials will eventually be added.
