South Street Restaurant & Bar, the Motown-inspired restaurant in the Design District, has closed.
The restaurant's Facebook page simply states, "South Street is closed... STAY TUNED FOR WHAT'S NEXT." The phone at the restaurant went unanswered at 7:15 last night, and a call to sister restaurant Gigi yielded no further information.
See also:
- South Street's Amaris Jones Promises to Win You Over With Pork-Free Soul Food
South Street opened in October 2012 in the old Sra. Martinez space. A collaboration between self-proclaimed "lifestyle consultant, dot connector, visionary, lover, sister, friend, amazing cook, foodie for life" Amaris Jones and restaurateur/nightclub owner Amir Ben-Zion, the restaurant struck some observers as off when it announced it wouldn't serve pork at the spot that featured neo-soul cuisine and soulful tunes.
The closing comes as somewhat of a surprise, because the restaurant was well attended by various celebrity friends of Jones'. In fact, South Street's Facebook page was filled with pictures of Adrienne Bosh's birthday celebration, which happened only last week.
During Art Basel, Martha Stewart dined at the restaurant and raved about the "great music and Amaris' fabulous Soul Food including kale, sweet potatoes, fried corn." Other celeb sightings included Tom Joyner, Chad Ochocinco, and the Kardashians.
Cooper Avenue, another Amir Ben-Zion venture, also shut down suddenly in December after problems with the A/C and ventilation. The closure was supposed to be temporary, but Cooper Avenue has not reopened. The restaurant/market opened in late September 2012.
Follow Laine Doss on Twitter @LaineDoss
Follow Short Order on Facebook, on Twitter @Short_Order, and Instagram @ShortOrder.