New restaurant, bar opens in Schenley Plaza

The construction has ceased at Schenley Plaza, and The Porch officially opened its doors to the… The construction has ceased at Schenley Plaza, and The Porch officially opened its doors to the Oakland community Monday.

The sit-down restaurant and bar, owned by Eat’n Park Hospitality Group, joins four food kiosks in the Plaza across from the Hillman Library. But unlike the other eateries, The Porch will stay open year-round and provide diners indoor seating as well as outdoor seating options.

The Porch’s menu includes American cuisine such as salads, sandwiches and pizza for lunch, with a larger menu for dinner. The menu does not reflect the usual Eat’n Park dishes.

The restaurant also has a liquor license and will serve alcohol from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. on weekdays, and until 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 9 p.m. on Sundays.

Mark Broadhurst, the director of concept development for The Porch, said that the restaurant wasn’t expecting a large turnout for the early part of its opening day, since the managers have kept the unveiling pretty quiet and haven’t started marketing.

“[We’re] just happy to get the doors open and get some nice flow through here. So we were, I think, kind of happy to get the turnout especially on a rainy day,” Broadhurst said.

Broadhurst and executive chef Kevin Hermann promised The Porch will be a speedy lunch stop for a campus crowd looking for a nice view, with its wall of garage-door-style windows overlooking the Schenley Plaza lawn.

“The idea is the food — the menu items — ideally come out in five to six minutes. The intention is to get them in and out quickly,” Broadhurst said, noting that he expects the typical meal will last from 20 to 30 minutes.

Hermann said that the full-service menu for dinner include rotisserie items such as prime rib, porchetta, roast chicken, duck legs and sauteed salmon.

His favorite menu items are the brick-oven Bianca pizza and the porchetta, a slow-roasted pork that comes from Cunningham Farms in Indiana, Pa.

Students will likely not have to break the bank for lunch, but they do have the option to spend more money during dinner both for entrées from the on-site rotisserie and at the bar for those 21 and older.

Sandwiches, pizzas and salads range from $7 to $10, whereas dinnertime entrees go for $15 to $20. The Porch does accept Panther Funds.

Hermann said The Porch might eventually feature half-price appetizers at night, just like many of the other restaurants around Oakland.

“We are kicking around a lot of ideas, so probably after the Thanksgiving holiday or in December we will be having a happy hour and also late food special,” Hermann said.

The Porch is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday brunch starts at 10 a.m., and the restaurant remains open until 11 p.m. on Saturday and 9 p.m. on Sunday.

“Schenley Plaza is such a great, beautiful space — it looks at the vibrancy of Oakland. We really wanted to focus on the outside rather than the inside,” Broadhurst said.