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Fairfax comes into focus: New restaurant/lounge to debut this summer in former Largo space

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Fairfax, the new restaurant and lounge inside the former Largo space on Fairfax Avenue, is coming into focus. Co-owner Reg MacDonald gave the Daily Dish a sneak peek at his forthcoming restaurant (which will simply be called Fairfax) earlier this week.

‘This is going to be a gasatropub-type place that everyone from the neighborhood can enjoy,’ he said. The former Tokio owner, and current Tinto partner, says the nearly 2,500-square-foot space, which he has stripped down to its brick walls, will feature a second-level dining area for 30 people, in addition to seating for 150 or so downstairs.

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‘This area could be great for a birthday party or meeting,’ the South African-born co-owner said from the second-floor perch, which overlooks the main dining area. MacDonald added that the kitchen, which will sit below the terrace-level VIP dining area, will be ‘enclosed in glass so everyone can see what’s going on inside.’ MacDonald and his partner in the endeavor, Jordan Bucky, have already enlisted Jared Simons, who recently left Hollywood’s Bardot nightclub, to design the menu and work full time at Fairfax.

So what’ll be on the menu? ‘Simple gastropub-like food,’ said the budding restaurateur. ‘It’s going to be a basic, old-school neighborhood pub with a contemporary feel. We’ll have 20 different beers on tap, comfort food with nothing over $15 and lots of items in the $8 range.’ It’s clear the Village Idiot’s continued success nearby on Melrose Avenue is a model of sorts for MacDonald, and he admitted as much Wednesday. ‘The Village Idiot, Anisette and the Belmont are a few of our inspirations,’ he said.

And just like the Belmont, expect a lively patio scene visible to those speeding by -- only here, it’ll be Fairfax Avenue drivers who may be tempted to park and have a beer (or two).

‘We’re going to open up the entire front section with an outdoor patio so you can see everything from the street,’ he said of the place, which he plans on opening sometime this summer. ‘This area reminds me of Rivington Street in New York, and we’re really going to try and make something beautiful inside -- but not too beautiful to alienate anyone in the neighborhood.’

-- Charlie Amter

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