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Inside Gastown’s “Peckinpah” As It Gets Closer To Opening Day…

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by Andrew Morrison | I took a gander inside the Peckinpah space yesterday to see how they were coming along. They’ve suffered some delays but it appears as if they’re back on track. As you can see from the photos below, the bar has taken shape, and much of the kitchen equipment has been installed (the brand new smoker looks and smells amazing). Cooler still are the archaeological finds. Behind a false wall downstairs where the washrooms are being built they discovered a Georgia Straight wallpaper job dating back to the year I was born (1973), a series of antique bottles, a dusty book of mint condition vinyl (still in their yellowing sleeves) and much more. Take a look:

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Some background on the project from when we first broke the news of its coming back in June:

Restaurant builder Ryan Murfitt (Bao Bei, Calabash, and many more) and restaurateur Tyson Reimer (Cobre, Deacon’s Corner) have secured a lease of the ground floor at 2 Water Street. If you’re not familiar with the address it’s the beautiful Italianate-style Byrnes Block (1887) next door to Six Acres. It’s a heck of a corner location, facing out on on both Carrall and Water. Photos and more after the jump…

The restaurant will be called Peckinpah, so named after the old (and controversial) movie director Sam Peckinpah, who made The Wild Bunch, Cross Of Iron, The Osterman Weekend and a dozen other hard-edged films. “He was a hard balls fucking director”, Reimer says. “He was known for doing things his way”.

It’s a small space (just 900 sqft) but I’d put the ceilings at over 12 ft. and the walls (save for the old brick back) are lined with massive windows that open on to the street. They’ve only just received the keys today, but first imaginings see 35 seats all day, with a long, 16 seat open kitchen bar.

As for the food concept, it’s North Carolina BBQ. Expect dry rubs, pulled pork, brisket, St. Louis rib, smoked oysters, prawn boils, and so on (they’re getting a smoker installed front and center, one that can turn out 550lbs of meat a day).

In a cool little twist, none other than Barry Benson of R&B Brewing will be the guy putting together the 12 beer tap list. A few whisky cocktails will be on offer as well. “Imagine a saloon that has grown up”, is how Reimer described it to me in the space this afternoon. No problem.

Opening day is conservatively being set for October.

Make that November, with fingers crossed. Going way back, here are some more pics from shortly after Tyson and Ryan took possession…

  • Peckinpah coming to Gastown
  • Peckinpah | 2 Water Street (taken from the Chill Winston patio)
  • Peckinpah | Tyson Reimer and Ryan Murfitt
  • Peckinpah | The back brick wall where the open kitchen line and smoker will be
  • Peckinpah | The entrance, taken from an imaginary bar
  • Peckinpah | There will be seating in the window looking out onto Maple Tree Square
  • Peckinpah | The big door
  • Peckinpah | Rear door might see take-out cash/carry action
  • Peckinpah | The stairs to the lower level (office and storage)
  • Peckinpah | Looking out on Maple Tree Square
  • Peckinpah | Looking back across the kitchen and bar toward the dish pit
  • Peckinpah | Stairs below
  • Peckinpah | History of the Byrnes Block
  • Peckinpah | Coming October 2010 (give or take)

ALL ANTICIPATED OPENINGS

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