All photos by Caitlin Abrams
sign near a front door
One of the North Loop's most iconic restaurant spaces has new life. Closed since the early days of the pandemic, The Bachelor Farmer building at 1st St. and 2nd Ave. has been overhauled and will launch this weekend as Porzana. The project, a venture from Daniel del Prado and Ryan Burnet, includes del Prado's version of an Argentinian steakhouse on the main level, and a basement-level cocktail bar called Flora Room in the former Marvel Bar.
"You know, we wanted to respect this place, because it's been so important to the neighborhood, so important to us," del Prado told me yesterday as we walked through, "but we also wanted to bring new energy to it."
bar to kitchen
There's definitely new flow to the space. When you walk in the door, the one off the corner, you can see that they have taken what was once the separate cafe space and connected it to the rest of the dining area. Up front there is a new lounge vibe with warm wood tones, low seating, and the beginning of the bar, which stretches back along the space toward the open kitchen.
patio tables and chairs
"We had to connect these three energy points, the front to the kitchen, and then the kitchen to the outside," del Prado said as he pointed out the large doorway they created to the alleyway patio. That space, which lies between the restaurant and the former Askov Finlayson building, was not really used by TBF. It's a gem of a city patio now with lush greenery, tables, a few tall trees, and plenty of string lights. It's a whole mood.
bar and stools
The bar takes up an entire side of the restaurant, and there's a cool hallway behind it leading between the lounge and the kitchen area. Again, flow and connection. You'll find a lot of interplay between the solid natural woods and the filtered light coming through glass and off of fixtures.
dark booths in front of glass wall
Downstairs, the bar area has been transformed with emerald green tones. The formerly tufted purple booths are still here, but muted in dark leather. The area behind the booths, which was once a climate-controlled wine storage for the restaurant, is now open for quieter seating. If you want to have an actual conversation, that might happen in the glassed-in space they're calling the Bird Room. "We may even pipe in some bird sounds," COO Morgan Daigle told me.
bar stools and flowers
Long gone is the back bar peg board holding bar tools. Instead there's an overflowing plant ledge topping the mirrored back bar. Plush green chairs line both the bar and the small tables throughout, "We joke that it's very Gwyneth Paltrow, Great Expectations down here," Daigle laughed.
front tables and lounge
It's a much softer vibe overall for a restaurant we know will bring lots of meat to the menu. We've heard they are bringing in 100 percent grass-fed prime, which is quite rare to find, but also a Wagyu tomahawk chop, which is luxe. Plus, you know del Prado, he can't not have gorgeous veggie dishes and pastas as well. Can't wait to see the food! Training and preview parties are beginning tonight, and Porzana will be open to the public on Sunday.
