Restaurateurs Aimee Olexy and Stephen Starr make an unlikely pair. The two joined forces last year to create Talula's Garden, a restaurant that plays to both of their strengths.
Olexy owns Talula's Table, a 12-seat restaurant in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, which boasts a year-long waiting list for its celebrated farm-to-table fare. As for Starr, it's almost easier to list the restaurants he doesn't own in Philadelphia--the latest count puts him at 20 restaurants in the city, plus seven more in NYC, Atlantic City, and Florida. (Some of his most famous include Buddakan, Morimoto, and--a personal favorite from my time in Philadelphia—French bistro Parc.) The fruit of their shared labor is Talula's Garden, a 102-seat Starr restaurant with the spirit of a gardener's dinner table. Olexy designed the space herself, in conjunction with landscape design firm Groundswell. She likes "organic, undesigned spaces," a contrast to Starr's usual hyper-designed approach. In the end, the design (like everything else) is very much a joint result.
Above: A no-fail gardener's color palette of green, wood, and white.
Above: Simple planter boxes serve the design intention of making the patio look like someone's (really nice) back patio.
Above: A collection of vintage cake stands and cloches is used to display the restaurant's impressive daily cheese offerings.
Above: Mismatched garden chairs provide an ad hoc look. Table centerpieces vary, but always include greenery (of course).
Above: The food presentation matches the decor perfectly. Here, mushroom pâté en croûte.
Above: Wall tile and colored glass pendants lend a Moroccan vibe to the front entrance and bar.
Above: Groundswell created a functioning waterfall from vintage faucets.
Above: The pergola overhead is cantilevered, made from a reclaimed truss.