If you’ve heard about the new restaurant opening next to Bimi’s, the cheese shop in Chatham, you might expect a cozy and rustic space with a touch of country charm. However, prepare to be surprised by the owners, Ellen Waggett and Christopher Landy, who are Emmy Award-winning theatrical set and lighting designers. Their company, Vibrant Design, has worked on TV shows featuring well-known personalities such as Seth Myers and Oprah. The former Banner Clothing store, a long-standing establishment on Main Street, has been transformed into a stunning restaurant with a focus on farm-to-table small plates and a top-notch bar program. Reservations are already sold out each week, proving the popularity of this unique dining experience.
Named after a grandmother from Missouri, Bimi’s redefines rustic style with a playful twist. Waggett and Landy, who are known for creating memorable experiences, compare running a restaurant to theater production, from designing the set to ensuring a remarkable in-person experience. The exterior of the restaurant, with its golden awnings and name displayed on storefront windows, may evoke the image of a French bistro. However, once inside, you’ll be immersed in a love story that celebrates Columbia County. The space features original exposed brick, locally crafted walnut tables made from a single tree, and navy-blue walls painted with Farrow & Ball Stiffkey. Vintage gears from a mill and a carved printer’s plate of the town’s clock tower decorate the walls, sourced from antique stores in Hudson and Chatham. Don’t forget to visit the restroom, where Waggett and Landy’s design skills are showcased. In one restroom, a trompe l’oeil window offers a view that can transport you to Chatham, Paris, or Manhattan, depending on the day. In the other, a classic movie is projected on one wall, while a whimsical blue train relief, made from upcycled materials, adds a playful touch.
Bimi’s Canteen & Bar, located at 19 Main St. in Chatham, offers a range of dishes and beverages at varying prices. Starters range from $8 to $13, mains from $18 to $48, cocktails from $14 to $17, house wines at $9 per glass or $30 per bottle, and cellar wines from $48 to $115. The restaurant is open from 5 to 10 p.m. on Thursday to Monday. For reservations, you can call 518-938-1415 or visit resy.com. The official website, bimiscanteen.com, will be available soon. Street parking is available, and there are steps at the front and inside the restaurant.
The restaurant’s menu and placemats, made of tan leather, add a touch of farm-inspired charm reminiscent of blacksmith aprons. These items were found on Etsy and sourced from Ukraine. The lower level, previously used as changing rooms for Banner Clothing, has been transformed into an intimate speakeasy-style bar. Andrey Matseyev, the Russian-born bar director, brings his mixology skills honed in Manhattan to Chatham. The bar offers an impressive selection of cocktails, both classic and unique creations, expertly balanced and carefully crafted. Special attention is given to low-ABV and no-ABV cocktails, ensuring there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Notable cocktails include the Off The Rails, which combines Maker’s Mark, Lustau sherry, Punt e Mas, lemon, Sichuan pepper, and strawberry compote. Another standout is the bourbon-and-Campari Boulevardier, enhanced with burnt-orange oils and chocolate bitters. They also offer an aged vodka Negroni, with the vodka barrel-aged in-house using charred oak. For non-alcoholic options, the St. Agrestis Phony Negroni, a Brooklyn-bottled cocktail, is available. However, the Bee’s Knees, a refreshing combination of Champagne vinegar apricot shrub, fresh citrus, honey, ginger, walnut bitters, topped with lemon and an edible pansy, is highly recommended.
Waggett and Landy, who have owned a home in Austerlitz for 18 years and the upscale Bimi’s Cheese Shop for 10 years, are deeply connected to the community. When their landlord offered them the opportunity to expand into the Banner space in 2020, they seized the chance to create Bimi’s Canteen and plan to open a gelateria in the connected space in the near future. With the cheese shop already popular for lunch, patrons can now enjoy dining in the Canteen dining room until 3 p.m. daily, and the restaurant opens at 5 p.m. from Thursday to Monday each week.
Working initially with chef Josh Kelly, a Chatham native based in Colorado, Waggett and Landy collaborated on the menu and kitchen design. However, the restaurant eventually opened in June with chef Jesse Curtain leading the kitchen. Curtain, a local from Hudson, brings a wealth of culinary experience gained from cooking in various cities including San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, and Tucson. He focuses on using locally raised meats from Kinderhook and Grimaldi farms and locally sourced produce from Samascott and Gentle Time farms. The menu showcases a combination of staple dishes and rotating options. The Canteen burger, mac and cheese with bacon lardons and green onion chutney, and a fennel-Pernod-saffron bouillabaisse are among the staple dishes that customers can expect to find on the menu. The rest of the menu, called “The Steak,” “The Pork,” “The Fowl,” “The Fish,” and “The Pasta,” includes ever-changing options to keep things exciting. The latest addition to the menu is a dry-rubbed pork chop with allspice and oxtail gravy. The cod from the opening menu has been replaced with a wild-caught black sea bass filet, served with a crackling skin and a tomato broth infused with ‘nduja and garlic confit, where marble potatoes swim.
While the main dishes are impressive, Bimi’s shines in its selection of smaller plates, which pair perfectly with their cocktails. An artistically presented plate of crudité with anchovy-garlic bagna caude offers a satisfying combination of crunch and vibrant colors. The tomato and melon salad, added as an afterthought, steals the show with its citrus whipped feta, sweet melon, torn mint, and basil crystals. The crispy macha potatoes are roasted, smashed, and tossed with lime and sesame seeds, resulting in a dish bursting with flavor and a delightful crunchy texture. The Little Gem salad features almond-dusted leaves with anchovies, slivers of supremed orange, and Castelvetrano olives. Grilled artichokes with preserved lemon, mint, and Fresno chili are complimented by a flavorful allium aioli. To complete the experience, be sure to try the Bartlett House sourdough, served with roasted-shallot butter and simple Maldon salt.
To end the meal, Bimi’s offers a selection of desserts, including a dense flourless chocolate pastry served on a bed of whipped cream and a tangy lemon tart created by pastry chef Claire Raposo. Raposo, who started working at Bimi’s Cheese Shop as a teenager, trained at Le Cordon Bleu and recently opened her own patisserie called The Lost Lamb in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Additionally, a rustic peach galette with a salty crust is baked by Betsy Kelly, Josh Kelly’s mother, who previously baked for them when they ran the cafe at the Hancock Shaker Museum as they prepared for the launch of Bimi’s.
Despite not expecting an overwhelming response, Waggett and Landy have been pleasantly surprised by the restaurant’s popularity. Waggett, who has been impacted by the Hollywood writers’ strike, has dedicated herself to running the cheese shop, managing deliveries, hosting, and handling various tasks throughout the day. With Matseyev leading an intensive training program, the service is friendly and efficient, guided by attention to detail. From the grapefruit-rosé foam in the Calvados-hibiscus Normandy Rockwell cocktail to the pocket-friendly wine list that includes pricier cellar wines available by the glass, Bimi’s offers a truly multifaceted dining experience. As word spreads about this unique establishment, reservations are recommended to secure your spot before national press coverage solidifies its popularity.
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