Is that a new bar at 1500 Locust Street or did a Lisa Frank factory move in? The pink and turquoise Blume opens this week in what was most recently beer and cider bar Cinder Copper & Lace. Owner Teddy Sourias, who also has Tradesman’s, Bru Craft & Wurst, and U-Bahn, originally set out to give Cinder a refresh, but wound up going in a very, very different direction.
Blume is all bright colors and flowers, with a butterfly design covering the front doors, floral wallpaper, more than 200 plants hanging down from the ceiling, and 2,300 roses popping off the walls. Anne White, who designed Sourias’ glitzy Christmas pop-up bar Tinsel, came up with the look at Blume — she says she was going for “modernized Victorian.”
There are about 100 seats, counting the bar, lounge, and dining area. Sidewalk seating will be added later this spring.
Unlike at his other ventures, which highlight beer or whiskey, Sourias is focusing on what he’s describing as “light, fun, and fruity” cocktails at Blume, like the Femme Fatale with tequila, Solerno Blood Orange, hibiscus tea, and lime, and the En Blume with vodka, St-Germain, Pavan liqueur, lemon, and pineapple. There will also be a list of natural wines, along with plenty of beer available as drafts and in cans and bottles.
To eat, chef Aila DeVowe, formerly of Noord and the now-closed Bar Ferdinand, is keeping the pizzas and flatbreads from Cinder and adding an eclectic mix of dishes, with several vegetarian and vegan options. Look for gnocchi with cauliflower, pine nuts, and celery root, kung pao calamari, and baked oysters.
Blume opens Thursday, April 25. To start, the hours are Monday to Thursday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Friday to Sunday from noon to 2 a.m.