Curt Smith

Lansing State Journal

WILLIAMSTON – For a small town such as Williamston, the options for quality dining just keep growing.

The latest restaurant addition is being shaped by Nick Gavrilides, owner of the popular Soup Spoon on Lansing’s east side.

But don’t expect a clone of the Soup Spoon. True, Gavrilides considered a total rebranding when he bought Gracie’s Place, at 151 S. Putnam St, in late June.

But in the end, he went with a meld of old and new. The new business is called Gracie’s Contemporary Bistro.

“It’s just a little rebrand to establish ourselves and set a format for our food concept and bar concept,” he said Wednesday while sitting at a high table next to the granite-topped bar.

“But we want to keep the history, keep a tie to (Gracie’s Place).”

He said the new name preserves a familiar name in Williamston and the restaurant’s new direction.

“We’re offering upscale food with a really artistic presentation,” said Gavrilides, 41. “It’s a blended concept of upscale and comfort.”

The current dinner menu — it’s going to be revised continually — offers:

Braised lamb shank with creamy goat cheese potente and choice of vegetable

Pan seared rainbow trout with chickpea-lemon tahini, puree, basil oil, chef’s rice and vegetable

Filet mignon

Shrimp and scallop ravioli

Venison meatloaf.

There also are smaller plates and a sandwich menu, such as a pasture burger and steak, chicken and eggplant sandwiches.

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“We have only a couple of months of history but people are very receptive,” Gavrilides said. “We have a small menu but we’re gotten a lot of compliments.

“People are really liking our crab bisque, and our New York strip, which we use caramelized bone marrow on.”

The artistic food presentations at Gracie’s will be different from those at the Soup Spoon, which Gavrilides describes as “very rustic.”

The cozy bar area has the one high table, but the restaurant side has a dozen tables for groups of different sizes. Outside there’s a patio offering views of Williamston United Methodist Church and a quiet side street.

In all, the place seats about 75 people, Gavrilides said.

He said business started slow but it’s picking up.

“We haven’t done a ton of marketing because we like the word of mouth,” he said. “We like friends to tell friends. People discover things.”

Gavrilides has children in the Williamston school system but that’s a not the reason he started a restaurant there. In fact, he said, a real estate firm approached him about it.

“My wife and I weighed it out carefully and we decided it was time for a second project,” he said. “We thought this place had the right look and the right feel.”

Danielle Bartshe, 30, of Lansing, has been a server at the Soup Spoon for five years and is helping Gracie's get established.

"It's a very nice place," she said. "There's fine dining for different special occasions."

Contact Curt Smith at (517) 377-1226 or csmith@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @CurtSmithLSJ.

At a glance

Name: Gracie's Contemporary Bistro

Gracie's Contemporary Bistro W here: 151 S. Putnam St., Williamston

151 S. Putnam St., Williamston Hours: 11 a.m to 9 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, Monday hours coming soon.

11 a.m to 9 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, Monday hours coming soon. P hone: 655-1100

655-1100 Facebook: www.facebook.com/graciescontemporarybistro



