'Semi-bohemian posh' eatery taking shape in Bellevue

Renovation of the Bellevue building that will house Virgils Cafe is on schedule, with a grand opening scheduled within the next few weeks.

The 2,550-square-foot building at 710 Fairfield Avenue, which once housed four tiny apartments and was considered the worst structure on the block, had to be rebuilt from the inside out.

Building owner and Bellevue Renaissance Committee chair Charles Cleves has already spent more than $300,000 on the rehabilitation.

"The entire front of this building came completely off," says Virgils proprietor and chef Matthew Buschle.  "It's gone from being probably the biggest eyesore to one of the better buildings on the Avenue."

The space is divided into three distinct areas – one more upscale, one "German lodgey", and one a little bit crazy – a "semi-bohemian posh" style that Buschle says he's always wanted to do.

"There's a Virgil/Dante's Inferno theme where you've got heaven, purgatory, and hell," he says.  "The color gets warmer as we get closer to the 'hell' that is the kitchen."

Buschle learned his culinary skills from the "school of hard knocks", having worked for such places as the Aurora Cafe, Allyn's Cafe, Bauer's Bistro, and, most recently, as a chef at Jack Quinn's.

His restaurant will offer a varied, seasonal casual gourmet menu.

"I'm never going to be a David Falk or a Jean-Robert," he says.  "I think for a lot of people that stuff is pretty inaccessible.  But, you can still present good local, fresh stuff."

Buschle says he saw a demand for more places that keep evening hours.

He also noticed the new developments in Bellevue, the proposed $800 million Manhattan Harbour project in neighboring Dayton, and the 12,700 cars that traverse Fairfield Avenue on a daily basis.

"This is something that this town needs," Buschle says.  "This is a place that's a little bit more upscale, and a place where people who consider themselves locavores or that consider themselves foodies might find a little bit more of a home here."

Writer: Kevin LeMaster
Sources: Matthew Buschle, proprietor and chef, Virgils Cafe; Charles Cleves, chair, Bellevue Renaissance Committee
Photography by Scott Beseler