genessee royale bistro

the owner: schulte and his wife, tracy zinn, brought their lovable, eclectic style and vibe to the new place. both happy gillis and grb have that comfortable feeling like you’re eating at your buddy’s restaurant. the style and décor of both are a little retro but whereas happy gillis plays up the 40’s/50’s drug store feel, borrowing from that building’s original identity, grb, in keeping with the bistro theme, has a slightly more european and old world flair… within the setting of a former service station. (that’s right, kc has yet another gas station-based eatery.) the “style” of their food, too, is something i’d call “lovable chef-driven, comfort-oriented approachable cuisine” with a bistro slant (catchy, right?).

good but not quite happy gillis good. this is happy gillis' sister restaurant done with a somewhat different vision. larger, maybe somewhat more upscale but just as happy and service oriented. the atmosphere is perfect, eclectic, warm and inviting with plenty of windows-bet it will be a fun social gathering spot in the summer. the service was spot on-never a miss on the coffee refill (coffee buy the way was oh so yummy). now for the not so good part. todd is not in the kitchen but out in the front making sure that people are happy. the food i recieved just wasn't up to happy gillis standards. i had the corned beef hash at $9.00. it came with one overcooked fried egg and a schmear of stone ground mustard. granted, i could have sent it back but i chose not to. it wasn't any where near the yumminess as the croque monsieur i had one happy sunday at happy gillis. i do think my friend found her meal tasty. hopefully they will find a food groove and my meal was an isolated incident. in the mean time-see about a new cook or get todd in there!

todd schulte, proprietor of the esteemed columbus park cafe, happy gillis, has opened a special little spot in the west bottoms that may just surpass his first venture in terms of style, menu and flavors. housed in an extensively rehabbed gas station painted a jaunty shade of red, this place was put together carefully and tastefully. while not my personal aesthetic, i love the way this place looks on the inside; it's perfect for the neighborhood. the interior contains a wonderful mix of vintage and modern items. beautiful old cafe tables, chairs, light fixtures, salt shakers and bud vases complement clean, white china, a sleek bar and the cotton towels that serve as napkins. design-wise it lies somewhere between victorian splendor and old west tavern.