Downtown Williamsburg will soon have another local eatery for area residents to enjoy.
The Hunt and The Harvest, jointly owned and operated by Adam Howard and Nick Bishop, sits nestled along historic downtown’s Main Street, situated inside what many locals will remember as the old Merry’s Flowers building. The restaurant, currently expected to be open for business by sometime this April, will offer a locally-sourced, farm-to-table style menu, as well as a wide range of seasonal cocktails, draft beer and wine.
Howard, an attorney that has been practicing in the area for over a decade, and Bishop, an experienced chef that has worked in the food industry for over two decades in kitchens across the country, share a common desire when it comes to The Hunt and The Harvest: To offer a fresh, inviting location for the community to enjoy.
“I love the space so much, and I just think the area needed it—somewhere you can come and relax, and it’s something for Williamsburg,” said Howard. “We live here, we work here and we want the community to grow.”
The interior of the building will highlight the rustic charm of the space, with exposed brick and original wood flooring. The ceiling has been painted, but remains mostly as it has previously existed. There will also be a number of modern amenities as well, though.
At the face of the restaurant are two garage doors that open directly onto Main Street. These large openings will be affixed with a fine screen barrier to help prevent insects from freely moving into the restaurant.
In the alcove of one of the garage doors is a large mural depicting a scene of an Appalachian countryside. The mural was recently added by popular Somerset-based artist Jordan Justice, and a renowned Brazilian artist, Rafael Jung. That alcove will feature a party table capable of seating eight to 10 guests.
The other alcove will primarily be a lounge area where patrons can relax with drinks or wait for an open table.
Howard noted that the lounge area will also serve multiple purposes, as it will be able to function as a stage on evenings when live music is held and can also be rearranged to accommodate more guests if additional seating is needed. A second mural of the restaurant’s logo is planned to be located in that space as well.
The restaurant will also boast a full-service bar with bar top tables around its perimeter near the back of the restaurant near where the kitchen will be located.
Despite the addition of a bar, both Howard and Bishop stressed that the restaurant will very much so be a family friendly environment.
“The main thing is training and serving responsibly and making sure it is a good environment for everyone,” said Bishop. “We’re both dads and we want a place to be able to take our families and have a good experience.”
That thought process has even permeated into the restaurant’s seating choices.
The main dining area will have free-standing tables as well as bench seating, which have been custom-made by Howard’s father. The benches will be wider than that of most traditional benches, allowing for more people to comfortably sit together.
The Hunt and the Harvest’s dining room could be among the largest of downtown Williamsburg’s restaurants, as Howard and Bishop said that they anticipate a seating capacity of approximately 80 people.
While the bulk of the restaurant’s planned layout has been mostly completed, the menu is still currently a work in progress.
Bishop said that he was still in discussion with local farmers and growers to try and determine what will be available come time for The Hunt and The Harvest to open so that he can build a menu around it. For that reason, not many details could be shared at this time regarding specific dishes patrons could expect to find once the restaurant opens.
However, Bishop did note that he plans to have bison on the menu at launch, as well as a variety of other fresh, in-season dishes.
“The menu could change three to four times a year,” said Bishop. “But there might be a small period where we change it for a month and a half because a shorter growing season or something new becomes available.”
The restaurant will be geared more toward being a dinner experience more than anything else, according to Howard.
Howard and Bishop are currently working to get a social media presence up and running for the restaurant, which they plan to use to provide ongoing updates leading up to the grand opening. The News Journal will also provide an update closer to launch.
