Seventeen89 Restaurant opens in old Delilah's space in Vancouver's West End

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      On August 15, a new restaurant opened at 1789 Comox Street, the former location of Delilah's Restaurant & Bar.

      Partners Daryle Ryo Nagata and Paul Puratich are behind Seventeen89 Restaurant + Lounge. Nagata is the restaurant's chef; he spent 12 years at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel and most recently was executive chef at the Pan Pacific Hotel Vancouver. Puratich is a third-generation fisher.

      In a phone interview with the Georgia Straight, Nagata explained that the pair intended to open the restaurant in mid-July under the name Cafe Delilah. The name on the menu and on the building's awning was all set to go. However, he said, a lawsuit for trademark infringment by former Delilah's Restaurant and Bar owner Daniel Frankel derailed that plan. "We decided to change the name rather than go to battle with the big guns," Nagata told the Straight.

      The new name, Seventeen89, references the building's address as well as a notable time in history—the year the French Revolution began and when George Washington took office. 

      The new Seventeen89 Restaurant + Lounge maintains some of the decor of the old Delilah's space.

      Nagata said that he and Puratich wanted to honour the building's history by maintaining and refurbishing much of the originial decor over two and a half months of renovations. "We really respect tradition," Nagata said. "We invested a quarter of a million dollars to fix up the space and honour the space." For example, they mainted the ceiling fresco, the red mohair booths, and Delilah's original chairs. 

      Seventeen89 is open for dinner from Tuesday to Sunday. Nagata describes the menu as continental cuisine, with an emphasis on fresh seafood. The restaurant features an oyster raw bar serving fresh-off-the-boat shellfish. Mains include pastas, steaks, burgers, and fish and chips, as well as vegetarian and gluten-free options.

      The restaurant is open for lunch on Fridays as well as Saturday/Sunday brunch. It will soon launch afternoon tea, with service on bone china.

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