Vancouverites are feeling a new old vibe on the edge of Chinatown at The Emerald supper club and lounge.
Co-owner Rachel Zottenberg says she wanted to create a 1950s/Mad Men/Vegas-style lounge in a space large enough for groups of people to chill out.
“We weren’t out to get pretentious and be snobby about it,” Zottenberg said. “We wanted to be like the old-Vegas style where people were welcome to come in and get a little bit messy and get a little silly and dress up super sexy and super fancy …that sort of brash, sexy old-school Vegas feel.”
There’s no dress code but the new hotspot has inspired patrons to slither out of their skinny jeans and other everyday duds.
“Because of that whatever-goes attitude, we get a lot of fun outfits,” Zottenberg said. “Some groups show up and they’ve obviously discussed the fact that they’re all going to dress like Mad Men… We had a group show up all dressed in white.”
Zottenberg had been dreaming of creating The Emerald ages before co-owner David Duprey spied a “for lease” sign at 555 Gore Ave.
They had checked out pre-existing restaurants in great locations.
“And [those restaurants have] already established a look and a style and they’re asking you for quite a bit of money for the design they wanted to do,” Zottenberg said.
She believes the second-floor space between Keefer and Pender had been vacant for 14 years.
“It was empty and full of pigeons living the high life and when we took it over it was just a big empty cavernous space,” she said. “We heard through the grapevine from people that it had been a dim sum restaurant many, many moons ago.”
The pair spent seven months reconstructing the interior and scouring Craigslist, eBay, New Westminster and Langley shops for the perfect light fixtures and more.
A massive chandelier they purchased from a Point Grey mansion greets visitors at the top of the stairs. The dining room includes big booths against one wall, a semi-separated room for buffets or private parties and a back room for performances.
“That dividing wall, that’s like off of a scene of Mad Men... and we drew it out,” Zottenberg said.
Local artists painted the floor and faux rock walls and artistic duo David and Jordan Doody recreated Zottenberg’s favourite paintings from the ’60s.
The Emerald is home to Tuesday night comedy shows co-produced by local funnyman Cameron MacLeod, has hosted sold-out performances of Dances For a Small Stage and Zottenberg hopes to collaborate with the jazz festival.
Fans of their Main Street watering holes have followed them and The Emerald has also attracted a slightly older crowd.
“My parents and their friends and people of that sort of generation are equally enjoying this because they can come out and have a conversation because they can listen and hear each other over the music because we play soft jazz,” 34-year-old Zottenberg said.
She says the east end of Chinatown is getting busier at night with restaurants that include Oyster Express, Mamie Taylor’s and Cuchillo.
The Emerald serves a $12.95 weekend buffet brunch that sees it hopping, which Zottenberg says fits in well with Chinatown.
“The vibrancy is so exciting because it’s active,” Zottenberg said. “There’s never a dull moment in Chinatown.”
