Stu Irving, owner/chef at Railtown’s Latin-themed Cuchillo, is opening a new lounge / private function space called Boogie Van in the basement of his restaurant.

The 1,000 sqft space underneath Cuchillo has been in the works for over six years. I remember being told of its future as a possible lounge when touring the construction site back in January of 2013, so when I looked in on progress yesterday afternoon I was pleasantly surprised to see it nearly finished.

Accessed by a long sliding door, the interior of the approximately 50-seat Boogie Van project is being inspired by Stu Irving’s souped-up early 1980s Chevrolet van. True story: it was airbrushed with fantasy artwork — think spooky full moon, broad sword, battle axe, vulture, skull, et cetera. The van even had its name – “Black Knight” – emblazoned on its rear.

So how does that translate to a lounge interior? We’re talking purple neon signage, crushed red velvet panelling and metalhead murals with the back door panels of the original van actually being incorporated into the 10-ft. wide stand-up bar (no stools). The ceiling is low and the seating is high and there is room in one corner for a small band or a DJ to do his/her thing.

Stu wasn’t 100% clear if it’ll regularly be open to the public, but I imagine it will be on weekends at the very least and always available for buy-outs and special events. It has its own kitchen but I’m in the dark as to what it might produce. I can’t wait to see what it’ll look like when it’s finished and hope to loop back in the next few weeks for some more photos. In the meantime, this is what I saw yesterday…

Boogie Van

Neighbourhood: Railtown Japantown

261 Powell St.

WEBSITE