The Park Public House went dark permanently in late 2020 as the throes of the pandemic started to settle on neighborhood businesses across the world. For the first time in over a year, lights are on and food is flowing from the kitchen at 6114 Phinney Ave N, but under a much different guise: Arc Restaurant and Lounge.
Arc is the brainchild of one of our local restaurateurs, Travis Clark of North Star Diner and Shanghai Room, who is collaborating with veteran Tom Douglas Restaurants bar manager Todd Hamm. Gone are the sports TVs and classic pub fare. Clark and Hamm have re-imagined the spot with floral wallpaper, leopard-print carpets, houseplants, and chandeliers.
The Menu? Food inspired by the fusion of Mexican and Korean cuisines seen at restaurants and food trucks in Los Angeles’ Koreatown. Think “Zanahorias Asadas” (grilled carrots with cumin yogurt, vegan chorizo oil, salsa verde, crushed hazelnuts, and cilantro – pictured above). How about a “K-Town Market Bowl” (stinging nettle rice, bulgogi tofu, pickled veggies, sunny egg, and K-mayo).
Chef Brandon Lancaster is a Mexican-American cook who grew up in LA and until recently was working in several Ballard restaurants. This menu is an ode to the great Mexican food, Korean food, and dishes combining elements of the two cuisines that he loved in LA.
Hamm is pairing the Korean-influenced dishes on the menu with cocktails like “Sub-Rosa” (Barrel-aged gin, Campari, pink vermouth, aged rum rinse) and “Bikini Burn” (Mezcal, habanero tequila, house limeade, ginger beer, blackberry-sage cider). There will also be some cocktails, local beer, and cider on tap, and wines from Baja California’s Valle de Guadalupe region, to stay true to the LA theme.
The restaurant will be full-service to separate it from the pandemic-era no-contact style in favor of more human interaction. The initial hours will be 4 p.m. to 12 a.m., Wednesday through Sunday, with food available until 11 p.m. During the summer Arc hopes to open for lunch as well.
