See Belleville’s new sushi restaurant, enjoy fan favorites from Lexi’s BFF this week

Since reporting that Lexi’s Bar, Food & Fun, or Lexi’s BFF, has a new owner and will soon become Chaos Sushi Bar & Grill, progress has been made at 126 E. Main St. in downtown Belleville.

I spoke to owner Mike Riede on the phone on two previous occasions and was finally able to meet him in person at the business and check out the renovation and other parts of the building I hadn’t seen before.

Aside from a few finishing touches on the main floor, the building’s renovation is done … for now, said Riede.

The priority was the kitchen, he said.

The kitchen equipment was removed and thoroughly cleaned. The flooring was replaced – one type of new tiles (for easier cleaning at the end of the day) were installed where the fryers and grill sit, and another type, which will help prevent slipping, was installed throughout the rest of the kitchen.

(As someone who’s ended up on the floor of a restaurant kitchen – more than once – I could totally appreciate the new tiles.)

Once the kitchen flooring was installed, the nice, clean equipment was moved back in.

Then the painters arrived to take care of the walls and ceiling tiles. The new black paint on the tin ceiling tiles really brings out the detail.

Riede loves the old building. When asked by others when he would paint the brick, he said he isn’t going to because he’s “gotta honor the building.”

Too right.

Once the painting was finished, the flooring was updated (no more carpet) on the Chaos side of the building.

A new serving window was cut into the wall next to the kitchen entrance, which will soon have a door. The sushi counter will be placed right outside the kitchen at the back of the dining area.

On the Lexi’s side, the original hardwood flooring was sanded and varnished. (It looks fantastic!)

Flooring on the stage area at the front was also updated. Riede said that they will still have live music on occasion.

On days with no scheduled entertainment, tables will be set up to provide additional seating. And we’re talking about primo seating here. (Dibs!)

Gaming machines will remain at the back of the bar area, and the bar will remain unchanged. The same high-top tables and barstools as before will be set up as they were.

Lexi’s won’t be too different than it was before, and hopefully that crowd still feels at home here, said Riede.

The big reveal

If you plan to head to downtown Belleville this weekend for Art on the Square, be sure to stop by for the renovation debut.

On Monday, Riede, his business partner Cheyne Carroll, Lexi’s chef Adam Holik, and General Manager Corryn Jarrett were cleaning and getting the place ready for the weekend.

Lexi’s BFF will be open for food and drinks (look for a sangria special too).

Folks can enjoy some Lexi’s menu favorites and get a look at the east side of the building that will soon open as Chaos Sushi Bar & Grill.

The renovation debut takes place 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday-Saturday, May 17-18, and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday, May 19.

Dark Horse will perform there Saturday night.

Just a heads-up, there may be limited menu items and seating.

Also, in honor of Art on the Square weekend, the restaurant and bar will have art on display. The pieces were done by Carroll. Be sure to check it out.

In the two weeks after Art on the Square, Riede plans to finish up the Chaos side of the building with a tentative grand opening the first week in June.

“I can’t wait for people to see it done and ready,” said Riede.

Menu in progress

I hoped to get a look at the menu, but Carroll said it’s still in the works.

All of the food items will be tested (oh, to have that job) before the menu is finalized.

Riede said that Chaos will have a standard menu with several ramen dishes and about a dozen or so sushi items.

Other items will include tempura, sashimi, edamame and more.

I usually find that a smaller menu consisting of dishes made incredibly well is much better than a menu with a lot of items that aren’t done well.

Riede agreed and said that they “wanna be really good at what we do.”

But keep an eye out for regular food specials. The new sushi and ramen chefs will have the freedom to be creative and experiment with new dishes.

The Lexi’s menu will continue to offer some of the favorites, including chicken wings, burgers, fried chicken sandwiches and other items.

Riede said that between the two menus, there will be something for everyone.

He wants to use little frozen or processed ingredients and focus on using fresh ingredients, locally sourced whenever possible.

Looking ahead

“The place has come together … really well,” he said. “The building is the real treasure.”

In addition to the restaurant and bar spaces, Riede showed me the second and part of the third floors.

He said that further down the line, he’d like the space on level two above the bar side to become available for private events.

It’s a great space with plenty of natural light in the front room (all those windows!). There’s a counter along that front wall that provides a great vantage point over East Main Street.

The back room already has a bar.

With a bit of work – painting, cleaning, furnishing and a few other touches here and there – it’ll be a great addition to the business.

And that’s just part of the second floor. There’s also room for more seating or whatever else Riede has in mind for the side above Chaos.

The third floor also has unfinished but usable space, said Riede.

Carroll, the visionary of the business partnership, had the idea of housing a hydroponic garden on one of the upper levels.

The upper levels of the building definitely have potential.

Glad to be downtown

Riede is glad to be in downtown Belleville and is excited to be part of a real, live community.

“I got lucky with folks who worked here” with Lexi’s, he said. Most of them stayed and are already working hard to get the place ready to open again.

“They’ve been champs.”

He “can’t get over how really good to us, how supportive the city has been.” Mayor Patty Gregory thanked him for picking Belleville to open his business.

His reply? “Belleville picked me.”

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Chaos Sushi Bar & Grill is located at 126 E. Main St. in downtown Belleville. For more info and updates, visit the Lexi’s Bar, Food & Fun Facebook page.