When David Bailey dreams, he dreams of culinary concepts; dreams fed by a passion for food, drink and community; dreams that to date, have materialized, yielding six concepts and seven locations that define the Bailey restaurant family.
And it is a family not unlike any family, with siblings that are uniquely different.
“All of our restaurants are different,” Bailey said. “When I made the decision to own a restaurant I made a list of different types I would like to have. Each would have its own special environment where customers could have a good time and enjoy food of the utmost quality at reasonable prices. Nothing highfalutin, but places where you’re welcome to come as you are.”
Bailey’s dreams have been realized, beginning with his first concept in 2004, Baileys’ Chocolate Bar. Now located upstairs from one of his latest creations, Pop, which popped onto the culinary landscape in the former digs of his late L’Acadiane in Lafayette Square.
Pop is a Champagne and sparkling wine bar eatery, a concept Bailey and his business partner and wife, Kara, first imagined over 15 years ago. Pop complements the Chocolate Bar, with its specialty desserts and martini bar. It’s well worth the trip to the second floor, a location Bailey admits has been confusing for some patrons.
“It’s a common confusion we did not foresee, but the Chocolate Bar is still there,” he said. “At Pop you can have dinner and Champagne and everything that pops, then go upstairs and have chocolate-themed desserts. But don’t look for truffles and candy. We offer composed finished desserts with a few things to nosh on with creative cocktails.”
Beyond Pop and Baileys’ Chocolate Bar, Bailey’s restaurant family includes Baileys’ Range, Rooster (two locations), Bridge and Small Batch, an eclectic whiskey bar that sports a vegetarian menu. Yep, that’s right, vegetarian. Not exactly the first things that come to mind to serve with whiskey, yet, Bailey makes it work.
“A vegetarian restaurant was always on my list,” he said. “I wanted to acknowledge that you can have a well-thought out, well-crafted, delicious, hearty meal that doesn’t have to have a protein in the center of the plate. We added the idea of pairing it with whiskey, which turned people’s expectations on their head.”
Granted, skeptical carnivores may be skittish, however, “impossible” meats (plant-based proteins) are trending everywhere. Bailey reports vegetarian guests have brought in their meat-eating friends – never mentioning that the dishes, such as the Rigatoni, aren’t made with real meat until after dinner. It’s a surprise that has never left anyone upset or dissatisfied.
“It’s a stereotype – people think if you have whiskey, you have to have a steak. But you don’t,” Bailey said, explaining his pairing concept. “It’s about taking two things that don’t necessarily seem like they belong together and interweaving the parts that actually do belong together.”
Small Batch, like all of Bailey’s restaurants, is housed in an interesting vintage building that conveys an edgy, throwback feel. All practice seasonality, sustainable culinary methods, and source locally.
“Each (restaurant) is different in style. Each has a unique experience for customers to enjoy, and each are staffed with people who fit the location and are happy. That’s important, because I always want the staff to be as happy as the customers,” Bailey said, a comment that best reflects Bailey’s restaurant concept, which has paved his road to success, and made dreams come true.
