The rd+d Awards

Best Full-Service Restaurant Design-Fine Dining

Winner - Eastside, Minneapolis

• Owner/operator: Ryan Burnet
• Architect: Shea, Inc.
• Consultant: Premier Foodservice Design
• Contractor: Zeman Construction Company
• Square feet: 5,300
• Seats: 150
• Opened: September 2015

Both a neighborhood restaurant and a destination, Eastside is an elevated American brasserie located in a multiuse apartment building that required special consideration in sound, plumbing and lighting. Customer flow was a key concern as well, as was balancing the tension of high- and low-energy spaces. In warmer months, glass doors open and the bar flips out to create an outdoor bar and patio area.

For a PDF of Eastside's floor plan click here

The judges felt the design was “innovative and current” and had a progressive, modern ambience. Specifically, the indoor/outdoor element drew praise from the judges. The design’s freshness and seasonal flexibility — “you don’t see a design like that very often” — were standouts with the judges. “It really draws you in.”

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Photos by Colleen Eversman, 2nd Truth Photography

Honorable Mention - Porter House Bar and Grill, New York City

• Owner/operator: Related Companies; Chef Michael Lomonaco
• Designer: Jeffrey Beers International
• Contractor: Trinity Building + Construction Management Corp.
• Square feet: 7,800
• Seats: 110
• Opened: April 2016

A sophisticated steakhouse, Porter House received a glamorous overhaul in a process that took just six weeks. The result is a classic steakhouse with a cosmopolitan feel. The judges felt the design “was a classic: warm and well done.” The refreshed steakhouse is “elegant and traditional” but also “modernized” and “laid out nicely.”

For a PDF floor plan of Porter House click here.

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Photos by Francesco Tonelli