So things are really happening quickly at the new The Kimpton Cardinal Hotel in downtown Winston-Salem. The  boutique hotel will open next year and we just received a press release from the folks regarding the new name of the restaurant that will be housed in the iconic building.  We can only hope that this particular restaurant will source local ingredients like our other downtown hotel restaurant, Graze. One will see… until then, here’s the scoop!

The Katharine to Bring Traditional Brasserie with Southern Influences to Winston-Salem in Early 2016

Renowned Chef Ed Witt to Serve as Executive Chef with North Carolina Native Herbie Gimmel as General Manager

Winston-Salem, N.C. (December 16, 2015) – The Katharine Brasserie & Bar, a new restaurant combining French technique with classic Southern cooking, hopes to channel the community-minded spirit of its namesake Katharine Smith Reynolds to create an inviting gathering  place.  The Katharine is scheduled to open in early 2016 at the corner of 4^th and Main Street on the ground floor of the historic R.J. Reynolds building adjacent to The Kimpton Cardinal Hotel.

Tapped to lead the kitchen is executive chef Ed Witt, who built a reputation for soulful cooking with unexpected touches at The Partisan in Washington, D.C. prior to coming to Winston-Salem.  High Point native Herbie Gimmel has returned to the Piedmont Triad to be general manager of The Katharine after most recently working in Charleston, South Carolina at the noted Screen Door restaurant.

“The Katharine will be 100 percent a traditional brasserie,” ‎Danny Bortnick, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants’ vice president of restaurant concept development, said. “We aim to bring the charm and informality of a sidewalk café in Paris stateside to Winston-Salem and marry it to great Southern cooking.”

With a classic brasserie design and a touch of modern polish, The Katharine will feature a number of seasonal items on its menu as well as regional dishes from other parts of the Carolinas. The beverage program will include an extensive wine list, creative cocktails and numerous craft beer selections.  In addition to table and bar seating, The Katharine will be available for private dining events and will offer seasonal patio seating on the adjacent plaza.

“More than anything, we hope The Katharine will be Winston-Salem’s place to be, whether a customer wants to come for an elegant multi-course meal or drop in for an informal drink and an appetizer at the bar,” chef Witt said.  “We will be very hospitality and community focused, seeking to ensure that guests experience a welcoming atmosphere and see their food being prepared in the beautiful open kitchen.”

After attending the Culinary Institute of America, Witt began his culinary career at San Francisco’s Rubicon where he worked with chef Tracy Des Jardins and later helped open her restaurant, Jardinière. Following this early stage of his career, Witt returned east to New York City where he worked in a number of acclaimed restaurants such as Daniel, Il Buco and River Cafe.  It was during this time that Witt laid the foundation for his commitment to working with and sourcing from local farms.

Making his way back to the Washington area, where he attended high school and the University of Maryland, Witt helped open Morso in Georgetown as executive chef. In 2010, he was tapped to be the chef of 701 Restaurant where he earned two-and-a-half stars from The Washington Post and in 2012 received the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s coveted “Rising Culinary Star” award.  Witt is widely known for his work with local farmers and the value he places on the methods by which the beef, poultry and pork he uses is raised and brought to market.

Prior to joining The Katharine, Gimmel was partner and general manager of Screen Door in Charleston. Earlier in his career, Gimmel operated several of New York City’s most notable restaurants and bars, including B.E.D., the Gansevoort Hotel and the Empire Hotel, where he worked with industry icon Jeffrey Chodorow of China Grill Management.

The Katharine will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner daily and will seek employees for a wide range of positions in early 2016. To learn more about The Katharine, please visit KatharineBrasserie.com  or “like” the restaurant on Facebook at Facebook.com/KatharineBrasserie.

About The Katharine Brasserie & Bar

The Katharine is a traditional French brasserie that draws fresh inspiration from classic Southern cooking to serve as a neighborhood gathering place in Winston-Salem, N.C.  With a brasserie design and modern polish, The Katharine features a seasonal menu alongside traditional brasserie favorites and a beverage program with an extensive wine list, creative cocktails and numerous craft beer selections.

 About Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants

San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants is the leading collection of boutique hotels and restaurants in the United States and the acknowledged industry pioneer that first introduced the boutique hotel concept to America. In 1981, Bill Kimpton founded the company that today is renowned for making travelers feel genuinely cared for while away from home through thoughtful perks and amenities, distinctive design that tells a story and inspires a sense of fun at each hotel and a sincerely personal style of guest service. Out to help people live full, balanced lives, Kimpton aims to inspire with touches like yoga mats in every room, complimentary coffee and tea to start the day, hosted evening Wine Hour, in-room fitness programming and complimentary bike rentals. The award-winning restaurants and bars are led by talented chefs and bartenders that offer guests a chance to dine like a local. Kimpton also leads the hospitality industry in eco-friendly practices that span all hotels and restaurants, and is consistently ranked as one of the top companies in the Market Metrix Hospitality Index, Upper Upscale Segment, for Customer Satisfaction. The company is highly-regarded for its innovative employee culture and benefits and has been named a Fortune magazine “Best Place to Work” five times since 2009. Kimpton is continuously growing and currently operates 62 hotels and more than 80 restaurants, bars and lounges in 26 cities. For more information, visit KimptonHotels.com and KimptonRestaurants.com.