An empty room...for now

Gathering around a fold-down table, the three of us meet in the vacuous bottom floor where Spear and Folsom converge.  With a construction lamp casting a hard incandescent glow which gives the shadow edges sharp and defined detail, chef Ravi Kapur, writer Adam Starr, and I meet for the first time in what will soon be a bustle of activity.  Looking around at the bare concrete floors with scraps of metal cast here and there, I strain to see the far side of the restaurant.  It’s obvious this is a monumental project – 10,000sq feet of space to be exact – that will require many specialized and talented hands to bring to life.

Through contacts, good fortune, and the kindness of strangers, I have been given the opportunity of a lifetime:  Chronicle the making of a restaurant.  Prospect represents a multi-million dollar investment with high stakes.  Peoples’ lives and reputations are built into the foundations, and nothing less than striking gold will do for this team family.  Working closely with Ravi, who currently heads up the day-to-day at Boulevard (a Michelin rated restaurant owned and operated by local Bay Area master chef Nancy Oakes) I’ve been granted access to record the history, from inception and beyond.

The sign says it all.

For those involved, Prospect isn’t just a restaurant, but an idea of possibility and reward gained through perseverance. It’s an idea born out of imagination, realized through faith in their talent and excellence.  Attached to the hip, Ravi and Prospect and melding as one.  He treats her security and progress like guarding a newborn, and protects it as such.  But from this new love, an avenue of trust opened, and he relished the idea of bringing on hungry and emerging talent to record in word and photo, the blood, sweat, and tears proffered.

Cheers Ravi.

Daily updates and modifications require full attention to detail. From the design of storage lockers to the flow of the kitchen, nothing is overlooked.

The inception of this project began some time ago, but stalls in financing and permitting led to delays.  Finally, the green light is shining brightly, and as construction starts promptly every day, the content grows much like the restaurant itself.  I will have fresh and relevant information for weeks to come, and I hope you join me, checking in once in a while to see where we’ve come from and where we’re headed.

Today’s photos are of a an empty shell. The inside doesn’t resemble this anymore, but it’s a great look at where the ride began.

Next up, the many hands and faces that make Prospect possible.

See you down the road.

-Todd