Almost six months to the day since Valdez closed its doors, chef Steve Gonzalez and the team are back. They’ve moved just a hop, skip and jump from the former digs on King West and opened Baro (or Valdez 2.0) in a 15,000 square-foot space spread over four floors.
The main-floor dining room will serve a variety of snacks and share plates. The second floor will be the home of a raw bar and is meant to be a kind of après dinner hangout.
For the lucky few who will be blessed with the password (which changes daily), the Escobar lives on. You still enter through a sort of fridge door that unlocks a modern speakeasy that is heavily guarded. You either already have to know a member of the staff or make your best efforts at befriending one to gain access. The third floor will be an events space and a rooftop patio is set to open by spring 2017 where Gonzalez will resurrect his ever-popular rooftop cookouts.
