Entrance to 1105 Bistro restaurant located on East Lafayette Street
Photo submitted by Landy Coulanges
If you are running out of restaurants to visit, 1105 Bistro should be your next stop. 1105 Bistro had its grand opening last week. 1105 Bistro is located at 1105 East Lafayette St. It is located next to the The Moon, a popular venue here in Tallahassee.
It is decorated with original art by the musician George Clinton and framed pictures of a variety of artists who visited The Moon giving the atmosphere a Southern fusion vibe.
Scott and Julie Carswell, owners of The Moon, teamed up with chef Joe Crather to open the restaurant with the goal to win Tallahassee’s best new restaurant at the Tally awards.
Crather, the executive head chef, was born in Delaware but raised in Alabama and his inspiration came from his grandmother.
“Growing up I always cooked with her. She was a fantastic cook. I spent every summer with her as a child and that’s what we did. We got in the kitchen and had fun. I loved it ever since. She had a real Southern vibe and her collard greens were to die for. I learned a lot from her and that’s where my passion came from,” he said.
He said he always had a passion to be a chef and really didn’t jump into his career until his early 20s when he received his confirmation.
Cather started his culinary career in North Carolina working for a restaurant named Blue Moon. There he trained for a couple of years and then came to Tallahassee gaining more experience at Backwoods Bistro and Madison Social. He wrapped up his skills and taste to build up what he wanted to do as far as opening his own restaurant with his own menu. Within seven months Cather was preparing for his grand opening.
“ I was impressed. The portion size was really good. We had the fried green tomatoes for an appetizer and the pork with fall vegetables, cherries and apples. The pork was perfect,” said Janice McLain, a patron at the grand opening.
Cather plans to change the menu with the seasons. The restaurant partners with the concerts and events at The Moon. Cather’s goal is to turn 1105 Bistro into a hard rock house of blues. This is the fourth restaurant that he assisted in opening and for the first time it was a complete success with no complaints or returned items for the week.
The menu is listed with entrees such as Southern fried chicken gravy, bistro burger, savory chicken and waffles, and blackberry cheesecake. Sauces and sides are made in house.
1105 Bistro is open from Wednesday-Thursday 4 to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 4 to 11 p.m. with karaoke on Friday nights.
“So far I had one of the craft beers on draft which is amazing. I had the tempura battered pretzel, which is also amazing. The atmosphere is great, and the staff is amazing, I couldn’t ask for more. I will definitely be back,” Robin Mixon said.
There are more plans on the way such as live bands and new entrees. Cather says when it comes to his cooking, it’s all about how creative you can be; there are no boundaries, he said.
Visit www.1105bistro.com.