Platte Street's dining and imbibing options grow by one today with the opening of Dead Battery Club, where you might go to — ahem — recharge.
But seriously. The idea behind the new restaurant is that unlike the more casual coffee shops, lunch spots and breweries along the strip, this is not the kind of place where you'll have your laptop out.
Actually, the name's origin is slightly more complicated than that. When the owners of the WeWork building where Dead Battery Club lives asked Lisa Ruskaup, founder of Platte Street's Carbon Café & Bar and Habit Doughnut Dispensary, to come up with something for the space, they were all looking for something with the same soul as Carbon without being in direct competition with it. Or, as Ruskaup put it, "powered by Carbon."
"It's a little elevated. We want you to not always be here with your laptop," Ruskaup said. "So I was one day thinking, 'Oh my gosh, it could be like you come when your battery is dead.' And then I was like, 'It should be the Dead Battery Club.'"
So in went the velvety, jewel-toned benches and chairs, along with polished wood tables and the first pieces of an art piece made up of old electronics.
As for the menu — turned out from a small kitchen led by chef Scott Parker of Carbon, Habit and Table 6 — it's big on Mediterranean flavors and appeals to diners looking for either healthy or hearty. Charred citrus herb chicken breast? Yep. A smoked brisket sandwich with cream cheese and jalapeño honey? Also yep.
Same goes for beverages, which include juice shots, coffee, beer, a fairly extensive wine list and a classic cocktail menu in addition to specialties like the We (don’t) Work (scotch, lemon, hibiscus flower syrup, soda, lemon twist).
"It's a complement to our group ... [Carbon is] a bit heavier, more robust, larger portions," Ruskaup said. "This is definitely a Mediterranean-inspired, small plate style. We don't have a traditional kitchen here. We have basically a tiny kitchen, like a tiny house, no hood, so the magic that's coming from there is pretty special."
The Dead Battery Club will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 7 a.m. to midnight Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to midnight on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.
Oh, and if you happen to have some obsolete electronics lying around, they'll take them for their wall, thanks.
