A Look Inside 11:11, Under Construction in Montrose

Grid View

• The future private dining room
• Upstairs wine cellar
• Oyster bar
• Also oyster bar
• A look into the kitchen through the pass
• Inside the dining room
• A post showing what it will look like

Last week, former L'Olivier chef de cuisine Kevin Bryant announced that he would be opening a new restaurant called 11:11 in the space formerly occupied by Bibas One's a Meal on West Gray. General manager Joe Welborn, who's worked at Uptown Sushi and the Rockwood Room (among others), brought Bryant into the project approximately a month ago.

Welborn said he wanted someone who could cook meat, fish and game and that Bryant is one of the few people who fits the bill. The plan for the menu is to mix the best of Gulf coast and Southern influences. Welborn describes it as "What's fresh. What's good. What can this maniac come up." Once Bryant establishes the menu, he expects to offer a nightly tasting menu.

The remodeling process began when the restaurant closed last summer and has been a real challenge. Welborn says that he removed almost 20 tons of material during the process. For example, the old bar had been made with cinder blocks and filled with concrete. That made it durable but difficult to remove. Each of the paver tiles on the patio has been removed one by one. Still, the finished space should be worth the trouble. Welborn said the goal is to restore the building's original 1940s aesthetic with dark wood and leather throughout.

The downstairs dining room will seat approximately 50 and include a chef's counter with a view into the kitchen. The patio will seat 100, and the private dining room will hold another 80. Adjacent to the PDR will be a glass-encased wine cellar with a 4,000 bottle capacity. Both Welborn and Bryant want to use the upstairs space for tasting dinners (beer, wine, whiskey) as well as events.

When the space opens in March, it will be dinner only, followed by lunch. When it's ready, expect a full Eater Inside.

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