Eos & Nyx

Inside Eos & Nyx, a New Mediterranean Restaurant Opening in San Jose | Eater SF

"Debuting on Wednesday, November 20, this two-story, light-filled restaurant and bar occupies a former movie theater and a massive 4,000-square-foot box-like space reimagined by MO Hospitality Group (the team behind Paper Planes, Mini Boss, Still OG, and Alter Ego) in collaboration with Basile Studio. The design intentionally plays with the transition from day to night by creating what are almost two different spaces — including the addition of a second-floor mezzanine to expand seating and add a secondary bar — and by emphasizing verticality with floor-to-ceiling windows and tall, canopy-like trees that act as a soft diffuser for lighting and can be enjoyed from both floors. “We want to find all the possibilities that the space can offer for design and also for a business model for a restaurant,” says Basile Studio design manager Talita Mathias. A kinetic “double-height liquor carousel” moves bottles between the two floors so bottles are visible and accessible from both bars; as Paul Basile explains, “That was the key: having something that you could see from the outside and attract people to come in and say, ‘What’s moving? Why is that moving? What’s happening there?’” Basile says. “It also gives people a good reason to go upstairs as well. I think getting people upstairs is really difficult in any project, but having something that kind of drives them there is really fun.” Chef Nicko Moulinos, who hails from Corfu, Greece and has worked at New York’s Le Bernardin, Kwame Onwuachi’s (now closed) Kith/Kin, and Taverna, leads a crowd-pleasing Mediterranean menu that emphasizes seasonal ingredients and an open wood-fired grill to add smoke and char to dishes such as the New York strip served with potato espuma; shareable plates and pastas like pappardelle with duck and spinach are highlighted, while brunch stretches beyond Mediterranean fare to include South Bay favorites like bò né (the sizzling flat-iron dish starring steak, eggs, pork pate, and a baguette). Cocktails are similarly considered and playful, with examples such as the Jean Claude Pandan — a tequila-pandan drink with passion fruit, lime, and grapefruit soda. “With a lot of our projects, a big goal is always a sense of discovery,” Basile says. “Every time you go somewhere [we designed], we try to have different types of seating, different areas to enjoy the different experiences.” The restaurant is located at 201 South Second Street, Suite 120, San Jose, and is open 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with brunch 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday." - Dianne de Guzman