Project Description
The atmosphere for Recess is inspired by the vibrant and healthful California-style menu offerings, and the pop-art style of minimalist artist John Wesley. Subtly textured materials are playfully arranged in blocks of color, with gentle detailing echoing the soft colors of the palette. Spaces are layered from the inside out, with the kitchen at the core of the stall. Tiered steel shelving above traces a perimeter of display and work surfaces below to frame the view into the open kitchen. A custom-colored honed green concrete top forms the bar counter around the perimeter of the space, and rests on a rippling wooden blue wall below. A coral-hued neon light fixture traces the line of the bar top, and helps to differentiate the dining counter from the take-away ordering counter. The existing steel-framed portals into the food stall are painted black, creating a border around blocks of green, pink, blue, and white materials. Despite the small footprint, the food stall is equipped with a full kitchen and bar, and shares a walk-in cooler with Bar Mercado, its sister restaurant. Every square inch of the space is accounted for, from floor to ceiling with a storage mezzanine and ample shelving for easily accessible ingredients. A custom-designed glass and steel display case sits behind the ordering counter to showcase freshly-prepared side items.