Over in Ulster County, Ollie’s Group is building quite the empire, with businesses in High Falls and Kingston. The team behind Ollie’s Pizza has been working over the past few years to launch a series of new businesses in a historic midtown Kingston building. In the early fall, Ollie’s Slice Shop, a New York-style slice counter, and provisions store Fletcher & Lu joined Kingston Wine Co. at the location on Broadway, and now Eliza is the newest addition as of early November.
Helmed by area native Innis Lawrence and his wife Sophie Peltzer-Rollo and childhood friend Ilan Bachrach, Eliza is a European-inflected bistro for all occasions. The Bistro’s focused, unfussy menu has been developed by Chef Chris Bradley, a Gramercy Tavern alum and former chef and partner at the Phoenicia Diner. His influence comes from local ingredients in their prime, along with the same farm-friendly “reduce and reuse with a nod to the seasons” ethos as sister business Fletcher & Lu.
The menu includes everything from homemade bread and house charcuterie to a raw bar and fresh pasta. Shareable tapas platters boast bites like grilled olives, smoky eggplant, and artisanal cheese, while the dessert lineup is uniquely delicious with choices like olive oil cake, smoked chocolate pavlova, and a quince tart. As for the wine list, it is curated by Kingston Wine Co.’s own Katie Morton and is informed by her 15 years of bicoastal experience in the industry. Morton’s selection of bottles complements the food and showcases sustainable producers, with wines that span the globe and return to capture the best of the Hudson Valley region.
All the spaces have been designed by Innis Lawrence, the son of a well-known set designer and a sculptor. The design of each business is indicative of his lifelong interest in antiques, having bought and sold old workwear with fellow vintage collectors around the globe since his teenage years. Lawrence also emphasizes turn-of-the-century American and French design as well as his personal history with the Catskills in his work.
Eliza’s interior is perhaps the most striking of the newly completed spaces. An oversized cherrywood 20-seat bar captures the grandness of Parisian dining rooms with a coziness that perfectly blends with the setting. The open kitchen centers on a wood-burning hearth, while the showstopping dining room is covered in salvaged vitrolite. Custom light fixtures and curated antiques from around the world adorn the bistro’s interior. Need we go on?
Lawrence designs all his spaces to give a sense that they’ve been there – that they’re lived in. In doing so, he creates rooms that speak to those with a passion for design and to guests that just want to grab a casual bite to eat. Ollie’s Group is focused on running a thoughtful, community-minded restaurant with delicious food courtesy of Chef Chris Bradley’s highly skilled cooking from the heart.
Eliza is located at 582 Broadway in Kingston.
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