Downtown West Palm gets new pizza, bourbon bar
The unassuming new spot on Datura Street in downtown West Palm Beach, its name a qui e t e c ho of i t s a d d r e s s , i s e a s y t o mi s s from a passing car. But 123 Datura Bar & Kitchen has its dreams – and connections.
One of the new pizza bar’s co-owners, Nick Coniglio, already operates a successful restaurant on the same block, E.R. Bradley’s. Coniglio, who also co-owns Palm B e ac h mainst ays Cuc ina Dell’Arte and Nick & Johnnie’s, teamed up with Rick Aurigemma of New York’s hip 310 Bowery Bar and Ned Grace, son of Capital Grille founder Edward Grace III, to open 123 Datura.
“T h e t h r e e o f u s g o t together and created this mixed concept, a place that will be a lot of fun,” says Coniglio, who moved the bar into the space that housed his Bee Organics juice bar for three years.
He says the 12 3 Datura menu takes some inspiration from 310 Bowery Bar, known for its rustic, square “Grandma Pizza.”
“The New York concept is more of a bar/pizza bite mentalit y. We’re starting with a smaller menu, but not just bites,” says Coniglio.
T h e 1 2 3 D a t u r a me n u offffffffffffers homemade meatballs, calzone-dough sandwiches, and salads, plus a full craft cocktail bar with a focus on small-batch bourbon and speakeasy-type drinks.
The central menu will be expanded to include “a lot of fresh, local cuisine,” he says. It’s going to take time.” What hasn’t taken much time at all is the nighttime bar s c e ne at 1 2 3 Datura. Then again, that’s a scene Coniglio knows well, thanks to Cucina’s trademark party vibe.
Cucina makeover
T h e n e w b a r ’s d e b u t i s a g o o d t h i n g f o r t h e Cuc i na c rowd. C oni g l i o, who recently sold part of that restaurant to his 123 Datura partners, plans to close Cucina the day after Mother’s Day for extensive renovations.
“We’re doing a complete soup-to-nuts remodel, and we’ll reopen as a brand-new, sophisticated Cucina,” says Coniglio, whose projected reopen date is Nov. 1.
A f t e r t h e P a l m B e a c h restaurant closes in May, t h e c o r e s t a f f wi l l c r o s s the bridge and work at 123 Datura through the sum- mer, he says. The summertime drive into next season was part of the reason for opening near the end of this season.
“We wanted to catch the t ail- end and have a really fun SunFest ,” says Coniglio, who also is in talks with other unnamed local restaurateurs to collaborate on a restaurant project at a nearby loc ation. (He i s tight-lipped about that project.) “By the time everyone pops back in during October and November, we’ll hopefully be exactly where we want to be.” Do you have a recipe to share, a nifty kitchen gadget or a great foodie bargain? Balmaseda at lbalmaseda@pbpost.com or to: Food Editor, The Palm Beach Post, 2751 S. Dixie Highway West Palm Beach, FL 33405-1233
LizBalmaseda www.palmbeachpost.com/dining www.palmbeachpost.com/dining feastpb.blog.palmbeachpost.com PalmBeachPost.com/email thingstodopb Letters may be trimmed for length.