Lamberts, Perla's Team Opening Elizabeth Street Cafe

With all the fuss over Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse moving down the road, we had to wonder: what's going into the space that opened up at 1501 South First Street? The answer is the Elizabeth Street Cafe, a new Vietnamese restaurant from Larry McGuire and Thomas Moorman of Lamberts and Perla's. The building will be completely redone to "evoke the feel of French Colonial Hanoi" and will start serving banh mi, pho and the like sometime this Spring.

They're planning on some kind of patio and will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, including croissants and other baked goods from pastry chef Alexandra Manley. Elizabeth Street Cafe will also be the first project under the newly formed McGuire Moorman Hospitality group, who will also be working on a project at the Hotel Havana in San Antonio.

Lamberts and Perla’s Co-Owners Launch New Restaurant Group & Unveil New Restaurant Concept:

Elizabeth Street Café to Feature Vietnamese Fare with French Neighborhood Café Ambience

(January 2011) Austin, TX — Two of Austin’s most accomplished restaurateurs have a new concept in the works that will bring some ethnic flavor to South Austin. Larry McGuire and Thomas Moorman, co-owners of Lamberts Downtown Barbecue and Perla’s Seafood and Oyster Bar, are currently developing the concept for Elizabeth Street Café, a casual eatery serving simple Vietnamese cuisine in an environment inspired by a cozy French neighborhood café. Located at the corner of Elizabeth and South First Streets in the space that formerly housed Bouldin Creek Coffee House, Elizabeth Street Café is scheduled to open in the spring of 2011.

As part of this new project, McGuire and Moorman have formed McGuire Moorman Hospitality, a new restaurant group that includes Continental Club owner Steve Wertheimer, CPA Carla Work, Graphic Designer Jett Butler of Foda Studio, and Project Manager Margaret Vera. Moving forward, this new restaurant group will manage Elizabeth Street Café, Lamberts Downtown Barbecue, Perla’s Seafood & Bar and any future McGuire-Moorman restaurant projects. Additionally, McGuire Moorman Hospitality will work with hotelier Liz Lambert to consult on food and beverage services for her Hotel Havana, located on San Antonio’s historic Riverwalk. The new restaurant group plans to design and build a kitchen adjacent to the hotel’s new Bar Ocho, develop a beverage program, create snack and lunch menus, and design a new room-service breakfast menu, all with a Cuban-Mexican-American flair that suits the hotel.

For their new Austin restaurant, McGuire Moorman Hospitality has designed Elizabeth Street Café to evoke the feel of French Colonial Hanoi, bringing it to life in a completely rebuilt space designed by Jamie Chioco that emphasizes landscaped outdoor seating areas and an intimate interior. Open from the early morning hours to midnight, the café will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Elizabeth Street Café’s breakfast menu will include freshly baked croissants, pastries and breads, from Pastry Chef Alexandra Manley, as well as a selection of teas and gourmet coffees including Vietnamese drip coffee, a dark-roast brew combined with sweetened condensed milk.

The moderately priced lunch and dinner menus will feature classic Vietnamese meals highlighting locally sourced proteins. Menu specialties will include bánh mi sandwiches, pho, and bun; featuring traditional housemade stocks, handmade patés, and carefully sourced all natural proteins: McAllen Ranch Beef, Niman Ranch Pork, and San Miguel Seafood from the Gulf of Mexico. Daily specials will include Vietnamese curries, crepes, and rice wraps. Elizabeth Street Café will serve beer, wine, and sakes to complement the light and fresh menu offerings.

· All McGuire Moorman Hospitality Coverage on Eater