February 4, 2020
A first look at NoDa’s The Goodyear House
See the dishes, dining room, and what to expect
The main dining room of The Goodyear House is in a mill home that dates back more than a century. Photo by Peter Taylor
The Goodyear House, a much-anticipated restaurant in the NoDa neighborhood with executive chef Chris Coleman running the kitchen, opens to the public tonight. The restaurant serves casual, ingredient-driven fare with international flavors, and hopes to become the kind of restaurant you can dine at multiple times a week.
Last night, we held an Unpretentious Preview event at The Goodyear House, where guests enjoyed a family-style sample of the menu before anyone else. (Want to join us at our next event? Become a paying subscriber today for your chance to buy tickets to our events). See what’s on the menu and how the team turned a historic mill home into a restaurant filled with personality below. Want to read more about The Goodyear House? We asked Coleman five questions about the restaurant, and did a deeper dive into what he hopes the restaurant will become.
The Goodyear House is made up of multiple dining rooms, each themed for a different era. The concept of The Goodyear House is built around a family adding a room onto the home after a successful year. Photo by Peter Taylor
Tables are set for the Unpretentious Preview, where Unpretentious People got a first taste of the restaurant before it opened to the public. Subscribe today for exclusive invites to events like this one. Photo by Peter Taylor
Kristen and Jon Wile, founders of Unpretentious Palate, greet guests. Photo by Peter Taylor
Inspired by his family’s love of French onion dip on beach trips, Coleman’s menu includes pork skins with French onion dip. Photo by Peter Taylor
Chef Coleman, always smiling, greets guests with grilled rice balls topped with smoked trout, bacon dashi, trout roe, and Kewpie, a Japanese mayo. Photo by Peter Taylor
Laney Jahkel-Parrish, 300 East executive pastry chef and UP subscriber, takes a photo of the welcome cocktail. Photo by Peter Taylor
Guests check out the retro bar and enjoy welcome bites before sitting down to dinner. Photo by Peter Taylor
Executive chef Chris Coleman, right, chats with chef/owner of The Hot Box (and Unpretentious Palate subscriber) Michael Bowling. Photo by Peter Taylor
It was a beautiful night on the restaurant’s patio, which features an outdoor bar called The Drunken Handyman. Photo by Peter Taylor
The Unpretentious Preview at The Goodyear House sold out to subscribers in less than two hours. Photo by Peter Taylor
Grilled scallion potato salad and braised butter beans are among the “smalls” options. The menu includes “biggies” and “smalls.” Photo by Peter Taylor
The Good Salad, a mix of lettuces with herb verde and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Photo by Peter Taylor
East Coast Shrimp in a chili shrimp oil served with a mignonette butter and saltines are a great sharable snack. The Goodyear House’s menu offers shared plates, single portions, and family-style options. Photo by Peter Taylor
Several guests commented the pull-apart sour cream and onion brioche could rival Kindred Restaurant’s famous milk bread. Photo by Peter Taylor
The pickled vegetables with togarashi exemplify the menu’s core: seasonal Southern ingredients with international flavors. Photo by Peter Taylor
Build-your-own lettuce wraps with sticky chicken thighs, radishes, and Carolina Gold rice make for a fun, interactive dish for the table. Photo by Peter Taylor
Coleman and sous chef Raquel Arreola plate prime rib. Photo by Peter Taylor
Prime rib is smoked on a Big Green Egg, then slathered in a horseradish crust. Photo by Peter Taylor
Unpretentious Previews are interactive dining experiences. UP editor Kristen Wile conducts a live interview with Coleman, then guests ask their own questions. Photo by Peter Taylor
The smoked cashew mac-and-cheese is vegan, but you’d never know it by taste. Photo by Peter Taylor
Whole, grilled mountain trout is layered with herbs and almonds. Photo by Peter Taylor
The mind behind the one-pound doughnut at Stoke is back with an apple fritter donut. Another dessert offering is lemon creme brûlée pie. Photo by Peter Taylor
