Classy but trashy, dirty yet sophisticated — however regionites describe The Hyde Out, Hyde Park’s new restaurant-lounge in the former Rack space, Kip Byrne, one of the folks behind the concept, wants them to understand its identity as a “craft parlor,” where everything from the libations to the building’s Art Deco elements are handcrafted.
According to Byrne, who ran six Blue Martini locations for more than a year, The Hyde Out, launched at the end of January, is a collaborative project under the umbrella of ANKR MGMT, which Robert Ibarra of Alfonso Architects and the Pep Rally creative agency’s Jay Giroux and Josh Pearson are also involved in. (Investors in the restaurant include Colby Fox and Renier Gobea.)
ANKR’s art-meets-architecture approach informs every detail of the gutted and rebuilt space at 1809 W. Platt St. The restaurant’s name has more to do with its split Jekyll-Hyde personality than its neighborhood home (look for the two-faced owl icon incorporated throughout), reflected in multiple rooms that radiate subtle high-and-low transitions.
At one end of the expansive space there's a speakeasy-style whiskey and wine lounge, or “dessert room” as Byrne calls it; sushi and outdoor patio bars; and a rentable social room that will offer up to four self-serve, pay-per-ounce taps for beer or wine (potentially craft cocktails later on) starting Thursday, April 9 — The Hyde Out’s grand opening. A game room, a lounge with communal tables and red banquettes and the main dining room and bar complete the picture.
Giroux said the design team paid special attention to “the little things” in creating the interior.
A wooden owl installation by Pearson accompanies the game room’s pool table, refurbished from its days in The Rack. The stools and light fixtures were custom-built. Decorative arrows from Schiller’s Salvage dangle above the host stand to match the wall’s “Make Drinks Not War” painted motto. A local printer supplied the canvas-like wallpaper, David Williams’s American fusion artwork hangs near the sushi station and that’s just scratching the surface of the layered endeavor.
“We want you to find something new every time you come out,” Byrne said.
A restaurant first and lounge second, the 150-seat Hyde Out’s craft emphasis translates to the food and drink as well. Byrne said there’s no freezer in the kitchen; ingredients arrive fresh, including the fish, and cocktails are batched each day by “vibe manager” and master mixologist Eric Bloomquist (who spins tunes when he’s not making drinks). The lunch and afternoon crowd experiences Jekyll, while Hyde emerges for dinner and late-night hours, until 3 a.m. daily.
During a recent visit, the menu highlighted inventive sushi rolls and bar favorites like a Philly cheese steak, but the food program is still a work in progress. The updated bill of fare will feature lighter options as well.
Most of the restaurant’s after-hours action happens in the main room, where house music, bands and international DJs with indie and underground influences will continue to be showcased.
“We’ve been creating this dream together every day for the last 14 months,” Byrne said, adding that the mission is to remain ever-evolving and keep recreating the space as The Hyde Out grows.
With that in mind, Giroux and Pearson will fashion a new mural on the side of the building every quarter in conjunction with the print release of local music pub Suburban Apologist. The mural’s launch party will take place at the restaurant Thursday, March 26. Byrne said he’d eventually like to have “local artists from all over” integrate their works into the space.
