Partners plan urban Mediterranean restaurant

Partners plan urban Mediterranean restaurant

Courtesy Marcona on Lyon

A local chef and a long-time business owner are planning to open a "modern" Mediterranean restaurant in Grand Rapids.

Matt Overdevest and Kameel Chamelly, co-founders of Culinary Partners, will open Marcona on Lyon in the city’s Midtown neighborhood, at 623 Lyon St. NE.

Pending construction wrapping up, Overdevest said the restaurant will likely open in the first week of October.

Overdevest has worked in the food industry since 2000 and is board president of Fulton Street Farmers Market. He will serve as owner-executive chef.

Chamelly also owns Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket Baking Co. and Lyon Street Café in the same block as Marcona. He owns the building and will lease it to Marcona.

Concept and menu

Marcona refers to a type of gourmet Spanish almond popular in Mediterranean dishes.

Overdevest said the restaurant will “take flavor cues and profiles from the entire Mediterranean,” as opposed to focusing on a single country.

“This will be anything that touches the Mediterranean, whether it’s Spain, Greece, Italy or north Africa,” he said.

The menu will feature a range of items: “staple dips” year-round, such as hummus and baba ganoush; mezze plate appetizers; small plates; salads; a skewer list with custom sausages from Louise Earl Butcher, chicken, beef and seasonal sauces; and large entrées.

“It’s a very vegetarian- and vegan-friendly menu — not exclusively, but with a lot more options than other places typically have,” Overdevest said.

The restaurant will also have a full bar that serves beer, wine and cocktails.

Location

The restaurant will be housed in a new building in the same block as Chamelly’s other businesses, at Union Avenue and Lyon Street.

“There was an old building here torn down that was not inhabitable, and a brand-new building was built that looks old,” Overdevest said. “It’s a small space, only 46 seats, with a totally open kitchen. Six seats at an eating bar that looks directly into the kitchen.”

Firm on the project

Grand Rapids-based Heritage Craftsmen is the contractor on the project.

The partners are handling interior design.