We rarely venture out to the Galleria because there's nothing we hate more than that cologne Abercombie & Fitch pumps through the air vents, which inevitably wafts into the whole mall, and don't even get us started on those giant jogging strollers. Jim Schutze is still afraid to go to a mall after his last encounter with mommies that shop. But the folks at the Galleria are doing renovations to the mall, mainly the entrance area, and in the press release they sure make it sound like an oasis we'd like to visit, if we weren't afraid of the strollers. See a portion after the jump and learn about the new restaurant coming to the Galleria.
Pavers in the main entrance will be replaced with beautiful quarried stone tiles from Spain. Along the broad esplanade, 35-foot embalmed palm trees will line the walkway. Upgraded lighting will give guests a sense of arrival. An artist-designed glass canopy near the valet stand will provide added relief from the elements.
A sense of arrival? Isn't that what the giant baby strollers and hordes of pimply teenagers are for? Luckily, the Galleria realizes that mall-goers feel a true sense of arrival when they see food, because it's not a true mall experience without Tollhouse cookies or an overpriced meal at a chain restaurant. That's why they're bringing Townhouse Restaurant and Wine Bar, a Chicago-based restaurant with additional locations in Deerfield, Illinois, and Sherman Oaks, California, to greet those pimply teens and shop-happy moms when the renovations are complete.
Townhouse will be situated near the embalmed-palm-tree entrance, and the peeps at the Galleria expect the restaurant to open in late August or early September. The restaurant, part of the Restaurants-America family, will offer modern American fare in a casual setting. No word on a chef yet, but we hope he or she doesn't mind the aroma of formaldehyde coming from those palm trees. We also hope no poor schmuck tries to rent a home there, but guess that's bound to happen when you choose a name like Townhouse for your restaurant.
