The space that formerly housed The Edge next door to the Durham Arts Council is being transformed into a café/martini bar/arts venue by former property managers, now bar owners Mike Womack and Jason Hallaman.
Hallaman’s vision for the new place stands in distinct contrast to the space’s roots as a local nightclub. “This is not a club. This is a restaurant, a café, a martini bar, a lounge,” Hallaman says, calling the word “club” outdated and reminiscent of MTV. “I saw Hpnotiq on the shelf and I said, ‘Get rid of it.’ I don’t want any hip-hop in here.”
On the night recess stopped by, the venue was hosting a decidedly tame business school mixer, but Hallaman says that’s just the beginning. The 6,000-square-foot downstairs is set up for wireless Internet browsing, casual dining, late-night drinking and social game-watching, with more possibilities on the way.
“It’s going to be the most functional space,” Hallaman says. “It’s a moving space. We’re doing like act one, act two and act three.” That means Blayloc could host breakfast in the morning, an art exhibit midday, coffee-goers in the afternoon and local bands in the evening, Hallaman says.
When the upstairs is complete—another 6,000-square-foot space—Hallaman hopes Blayloc’s potential will only expand.
“We know we can get a draw from Raleigh. We can get a draw from Charlotte if the bands are good enough,” he says. “We’re not going to be just a Duke bar. We need to be all things to all people.”
Over the summer, without Duke students to bring the bar to life, the focus was on the gourmet menu, which Hallaman designed. The menu features basic, hearty food with a European twist, including three kinds of chili (vegan, chicken and beef) and a wide selection of pizzas. Prices at the table, as at the bar, are reasonable, with menu items ranging from $2.95 for lentil soup to $9.70 for the 12-inch Mexican pizza.
recess tried a delicious “white” pizza with a flaky, layered crust and flavorful toppings over a base of olive oil and ricotta. The chili was good, if a little rich, and the cornbread superb—though we found the “warm wild” mushroom salad to be a little too creative. (Pistachios and ricotta on my salad? No thanks.) The house salad, in contrast, was just perfect, with mixed field greens in homemade balsamic vinaigrette and the option of adding blue cheese crumbles and walnuts. Hallaman says he designed the salad with picky eaters in mind. (“No cucumbers, no tomatoes, no red onion rings that you pick off with your fork and put in the ashtray.”) But he refuses to cater to all requests. Dressing on the side? “I’m not gonna do it,” Hallaman says. “It’s a control issue. You’re OCD, and you need to stop.”
He will, however, offer to toss the salad “lightly” with dressing.
Blayloc’s biggest challenge going forward will be finding a cohesive identity and ridding itself of the half-finished, warehouse feel so common to large spaces. For now, though, it’s a great place to grab a drink while enjoying delicious, fairly healthy cuisine.
“I’ve never been part of a failing situation in my life,” Hallaman says. “I will strong-arm this thing until it works.”
Blayloc is located at 108 Morris St.
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