Square Scullery, opening Thursday in North Hill, wants guests to feel like they're at home

"Really cool environment. Eccentric. Creative. Welcoming. Warm."

Those are the words that guest Chrissy Macso used to describe Square Scullery during a soft opening Monday night at the restaurant's new North Hill location.

Monday was the restaurant's second soft opening event for friends and family before Square Scullery's grand opening Thursday.

Opening weekend will run 4 to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday at 778 N. Main St. in Akron. Check Square Scullery on Facebook and Instagram for links to make reservations.

Restaurant hours will continue starting next week from 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Square Scullery is starting out with smaller food and drink menus that the owners plan to add to over time.

The eatery's reopening has been a long time in the making, with co-owners Matt and Heather Ulichney doing a yearlong DIY remodel of the space that formerly housed NoHi Pop-Up.

It's been a labor of love for the owners, who started out with a Square Scullery food truck and then a tiny, 13-seat restaurant in Highland Square before moving to its new, 67-seat North Hill spot.

Square Scullery finds new home: 'We're about to grow times five' at former NoHi space

Interior lends to jungle-disco aesthetic with 'quirky' designs

Heather Ulichney's interior design has a quirky surprise at every turn, including the European-made Larry the leopard behind the bar and flowery portraits of everyone from the Golden Girls to rock star cats throughout. The portraits, created by California artist Heather Perry, include ones of Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart outside the men's and women's bathrooms, respectively. Kitschy gold mannequin pants forms also adorn the spaces outside the restrooms.

With Heather Ulichney's jungle-disco aesthetic, each room is different, including the bar's dark and exotic floral jungle wallpaper and leopard print wallpaper. The disco part comes in with the bar's silver-tinseled front window and the gold-flecked bar top.

The main dining room has a pink floral vibe with its floral booth backs and pink walls, while the chef's room features gold, textured walls. The servers' alley is a multicolored "Rainbow Room" that took more than 100 hours to paint.

What's on the menu at Square Scullery

About 100 guests attended Saturday night's soft opening and 128 dined at Monday's event.

Chef Matt Ulichney's European-influenced menu includes Duck Poutine, Confit Duck and Bread & Bougie, featuring black cocoa focaccia and truffle smoked sourdough bread and a choice of spreads. He also offers his spin on pasta carbonara as well as celeriac (celery root) pasta.

Other meat entrees are filet mignon with duck fat frites and Maiale al Latte, or milk-braised pork.

Restaurant co-owner Juan Gonzalez said the filet mignon and the scallop dish, served with lavender rosemary oil, red cabbage puree, pickled mustard seed and coconut creme, were the most popular dishes at Saturday's soft opening.

Everything is made from scratch in house at Square Scullery, from the chive pappardelle pasta and nutmeg gnocchi to the fig and date vegan ice cream.

Nearly the whole menu is new, with the one holdover from the former Square Scullery menu being the Matilda cake, a triple-layer chocolate ganache confection.

Guests enjoy soft opening

Macso enjoyed appetizers Monday night with her husband, Albert Macso, owner of Akron Coffee Roasters downtown. They've followed Matt Ulichney since his food truck days.

"He's always had interesting, creative ideas. It's fun to see all his work come together," Albert Macso said.

Vinnie Cimino of Akron, executive chef at the popular Cordelia in Cleveland, said he and his wife, Sarah, also have known Matt Ulichney for a long time.

"We all live in Highland Square and we're excited for them to be here" in the new North Hill location, Cimino said. "It's cool to actualize your dreams and be able to do this in this space."

"We're excited to support them," Sarah Cimino said. "Akron needs this kind of like vibrant vibe."

Cocktails and mocktails

Square Scullery has its first liquor license. Its 10 cocktails include titles such as the Classy & Trashy, featuring Pabst Blue Ribbon beer with ginger beer and orange and lime juices; and the North Hill Old Fashioned, with bourbon, house-made black garlic molasses and angostura bitters.

The restaurant continues to offer its mocktails, too, with three options that include a Spirit Free Bee Hive with zero-proof tequila, lemon juice, ginger syrup and vanilla hot honey.

Local artists featured

Local artists featured at the restaurant include Akron's Micah Kraus of Genuine Article, who created the cutout leopards on the wall. Artist Ron Copeland of Newton Falls created gold leaf lettering on the kitchen doors that say "KITCH-IN" and "KITCH-OUT."

Heather Ulichney has thrifted nearly everything for the restaurant, including vintage glassware, flatware and dishware. The lounge area also features a couple of couches, a vintage armchair and a 1960s wood and tile coffee table that comes from the Ulichneys' home.

There's a special aesthetic to the imperfectly matched furnishing and accoutrements, Heather Ulichney said.

"I think those imperfections give it a homey touch and that's what we want people to feel, like they're visiting and they feel comfortable, maybe like visiting a friend's house," she said.

Thrifted items include vintage teacups and saucers in which the restaurant offers its complimentary "Memaw's Pickle Jar." They're pickled vegetables that change periodically in an effort to eliminate food waste.

The name's a tribute to Heather's grandma, Memaw, who's done pickling for years.

"Matt honestly loves pickling things" too, Heather said of her chef husband.

Arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Square Scullery makes splash with North Hill soft openings in Akron