Scallop crudo from Loft & Cellar. Kristen Wile/UP

Editor’s note: Loft & Cellar quietly closed in late July after owner Jerry Mercer hinted several parties had reached out about the space.

The kitchen at Loft & Cellar has seen some significant changes over the last few months, not long after chef Greg Collier was nominated as a semi-finalist for a James Beard Award in the Best Chef: Southeast category.

Collier was hired by Loft & Cellar owner Jerry Mercer in September to overhaul the kitchen following the departure of opening chef Nicolas Daniels to Barcelona Wine Bar.

The Soul Food Sessions co-founder and owner of The Yolk worked as a consulting chef, bringing in fellow chefs Calvin Wright and Oscar James to help run the kitchen. Collier finished his work at Loft & Cellar in early April, with Wright and James continuing to run the kitchen and serve what had become Loft & Cellar’s signature food, a blend of Afro-Southern cuisine.

However, Wright and James both recently left the restaurant, and the menu has been completely overhauled in the days since. The current dishes include sushi and upscale bar food, such as fries in a bourbon-beer cheese sauce, wings, and naan flatbread. Loft & Cellar has long struggled with an identity of being a club versus a high-end restaurant, and this menu appears to be embracing nightlife over James Beard recognition.

We reached out to owner Jerry Mercer, who said he was not ready to comment on changes at this time, but we’ll check back with him soon. —Kristen Wile