So long, Fat Calf Boucherie — hello, Fat Calf Brasserie!

Chef Anthony Felan is nixing the food truck life and rolling into a brick-and-mortar restaurant in the historic Highland neighborhood.

For two years, Felan has owned and operated Fat Calf Boucherie — serving pub-style eats with a modern twist – from a food trailer housed in Red River Brewing Company in Shreveport.

By late 2019, Felan and his business partner-wife, Amanda, plan to introduce a rebranded, revamped version of the restaurant diners have come to know and love.

Fat Calf Brasserie will open at 3030 Creswell Ave., the former location of Columbia Café.

Fat Calf Boucherie will end service at Red River by the end of August.

Related:Red River Brewing, Fat Calf Boucherie announce separation, future plans

''Brasserie'' is the word used to describe an informal restaurant in France. Renovations are underway to transform the Shreveport site into a chic, cozy, and comfortable French-style neighborhood eatery.

“It’s time for us to step out and do what we set out to do originally, which is to do more casual dining. That was always a goal for Fat Calf,” Felan said.

Fat Calf Brasserie will present a menu of French cuisine prepared using classical French techniques. The focal point will be the slow-cooked and flavorful meats prepared in a state-of-the-art rotisserie.

For more than 15 years, Felan worked the culinary circuit from San Francisco to San Diego before returning to climb the restaurant ranks in his hometown, Shreveport.

His new restaurant's concept is influenced by time spent training at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts and working in a French-rotisserie restaurant in San Francisco’s Ferry Building Marketplace.

At the restaurant, Felan would often end his shift, taking a rotisserie chicken to-go. Then, he’d stop by neighboring shops at the indoor market to acquire a French baguette and cheese. Next, he'd find a place to sit by the waterside to dine and watch the ferries come in.

In Shreveport, Fat Calf Brasserie is aimed to be a place of humbling and simplistic meals and moments.

“I’ve always loved the simplicity of the roasted meat,” Felan said. “If you enjoy talking to random people and you want to have a good glass of wine and to sit down and have food and enjoy yourself, then this is the place for you,” he said.

The eats

Fat Calf Brasserie’s menu will differ from that of the food trailer, which was crafted to pair with the gastropub’s beer and environment.

Fat Calf Brasserie will offer more upscale, plated dishes using French recipes, as well as a few Southern favorites.

The menu is still being fine-tuned, but diners may expect a few familiar items, such as the popular Boucherie burger, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower.

The star of the kitchen will be the assortment of roasted meat slow-cooked in the rotisserie oven, including chicken, duck leg confit, leg of lamb, ribeye, and Porchetta.

Sides items, such as mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables, will complement the entrees.

Moules-frites — French-style mussels and fries — and the steak-frites are new components.

Dessert menu headliners: Butterscotch Pots de Crème, icebox pies, and Mississippi Mud Pies. Felan also is enthusiastic about the inclusion of an old-fashioned Southern favorite — Hummingbird cake made with pineapples, pecans, and bananas.

“We want to bring the old Southerness back into the comfort of the food, mixed with French cuisine,” he said.

In addition to full entrées, small plates and shareable appetizers will be available for lighter eating.

A bulk of the menu will be gluten-free. Vegetarian and vegan options will be available.

French fries, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower will be the rare items to require deep frying.

At the full bar, guests may imbibe on local beer, cocktails, ciders, spirits, and order from a rotating wine menu.

The conception

The Felans are aiming to create a “funky” and “laid-back” environment.

Fat Calf Brasserie's interior design plans call for opening the space, inviting in more natural light, and sprucing up the dining room with fresh coats of paint and warm décor.

In the main dining room, walls have been removed to open and expand the space. The remaining walls were painted light gray.

Bench-style table seating will be added along the walls for a communal dining option.

Turn-crank windows welcome in natural lighting and when opened, may create a cooling breezeway.

An adjacent, smaller dining room will be designated for chef’s table-style dining experiences and private parties, seating about eight to 10 guests.

The full bar has been lined with white subway tiles, which helps to brighten up the place. Wooden butcher block countertops were installed to fit the brasserie vibe.

An order window will create a flow between the kitchen and the dining room — allowing guests to wave hello to Felan and his crew as they whip up meals.

In the kitchen, a large window casts in natural lighting for the culinary team. The floors were refurbished, and wall partitions eliminated to enhance work space.

A large standing rotisserie oven will stand in one corner. The kitchen also will be equipped with accouterments, including coolers, a stove, deep fryer, flat top, and a salad station.

The building’s exterior architecture appearance will be maintained. However, look out for the soon-to-be-installed signage sporting the Fat Calf Brasserie name and logo.

Two-top bistro tables will line the wraparound porch.

On the patio, umbrellas will provide shade for patrons. At night, Edison-style bulbs will give the space a soft glow.

The landscape will incorporate the embellishments of an original water feature and lush greenery and floral gardens wrapping around the yard with a fairy-lighted footbridge connecting to an adjacent parking lot.

For updates on Fat Calf Brasserie, follow The Shreveport Times and facebook.com/fatcalf318/.