Courtesy of Revival Restaurant Group
After 14 years in Buckhead, bartenders at the Ivy shouted “last call” one final time on New Year’s Eve. This fall, its doors will open once again, though the space may not be recognizable. The owners, brothers Jamey and Benjie Shirah, are revamping it for a new restaurant called Luella. Touted as a “steakhouse shaped by European sensibilities,” Luella will feature a raw bar, open wood-fire hearth, and both classic and inventive cocktails.
“I like to open concepts that are congruent with my life,” explains Jamey Shirah, CEO of Revival Restaurant Group, which includes Little Betty, the Southern, and Uptown Cantina in Birmingham, Alabama. “At [ages] 22 to 24, sports bars are really fun. At 38 with children, they are not. As our tastes and experiences have changed, our concepts have too.”
At Luella, steaks will be seared over the fire, similar to the way they are prepared at Little Betty. Other menu items may include handmade pastas, oysters, lobster tail, and Caesar salad. A few Little Betty bestsellers—including burrata with truffle honey and tuna veil (tuna pounded and served over cucumber, avocado mousse, and ponzu)—will make the list as well.
On the beverage side, expect rare spirits and classic cocktails. “It’s hard to beat a martini,” Shirah says. More creative options from the Little Betty menu will include the Espress Yo’self with vodka, macadamia orgeat, Kahlua and espresso, and Some Like It Hot with sotol, lime, agave, and pickled fresno peppers. Everything will be made in house, from bitters and shrubs to juice and soda. Wine offerings will be expansive with a range of options both by the glass and the bottle.
“Little Betty let us test the waters in fine dining and hone our experience,” he says. “We always knew we’d return the Ivy to its glory—it was originally Carbo’s Cafe, an Italian steakhouse.”
Named for the Shirah brothers’ daughters Lucille and Eleanor, Luella is being designed to reflect the elegance of a sophisticated steakhouse while maintaining the comfort of a home. Look for hand-painted wallpaper, paneled walls, and custom furnishings. Each room will have a different appearance, like it would in a private residence. The entry way will feature pinstripe wallpaper, the bar area will be deep red, and the dining room will sport mirrors and a crawford ceiling. A smaller room to the side will be cozy with a fireplace and florals.
“We’re really bringing home the Buckhead feel,” Jamey Shirah says. “We want a very refined and elegant experience. It’s something we think the neighborhood really wants and needs.”
The following year, the Shirahs will launch a members-only cocktail club and event space on the upper floor of the building. “Think SOHO House meets a restaurant,” Jamey Shirah says. “It’ll have high-end fixtures, a really good food and beverage program, and a DJ playing light vibes and instrumental music.”
