By Gail Bensinger
Attention oyster lovers – big changes are afoot at Red + White, and everybody’s favorite bivalve will play a starring role in the makeover.
R+W owners Juliana Flores and Peter Bell are pairing up with Laurent Legendre, of Le P’tit Laurent, for a new and improved neighborhood hangout, complete with oyster bar and a limited bill of fare to go with the tantalizing assortment of wines already on sale by the drink or by the bottle.
The site is temporarily closed for remodeling. When it reopens, there will be six or seven types of West Coast oysters available, depending on what’s in the market. The hours may change, but it will still be closed on Mondays. No reopening date has been set yet.
Everything’s still fluid – including the possibility of a name change – but Laurent says the three of them are working out a rotation of weekly specials that will include dollar-night for oysters on Wednesdays. Other specials being considered are oyster-and-Kir combos, winery tastings, wine-by-the-bottle sales, and maybe music – but not on Friday nights, when Bird & Beckett offers live jazz just up the block.
Laurent doesn’t plan any changes at his flagship bistro across the street, which will remain open seven evenings a week. Instead, he’ll keep an eye on both places. “That’s the good part – it’s right across the street,” he says of his new partnership.
