Earlier this year, Scene contributor Cameron Beyrent waxed poetic about the magic of the now-shuttered Cafe Coco. Finally, this week, the Rock Block space that once housed Cafe Coco is reopening. Co-owners Beau Gaultier and Connor Bloem and executive chef Daniel Gorman hope to create some magic of their own in the beloved spot.
Remembering the Rock Block’s all-night place of belonging, gone but not forgotten
After a few weeks of a soft launch, plans are (finally) in the works for a grand opening of Verna Café and Bar and Connie’s, the two connected businesses in the old Cafe Coco space, for Sept. 5. Verna Café is an all-day cafe and bar, while Connie’s is Gaultier and Bloem’s take on a new dive bar. Verna’s will be open Wednesday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. (to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays), after Sept. 5. Connie’s is open Wednesday through Monday, 3 p.m. to midnight (until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays).
Gaultier, who many locals know for his work at the now-shuttered Bay 6 in The Wash, is passionate about creating food and drink that are beyond the ordinary in a welcoming, pretense-free space.
On the menu are three Baby Cakes, which Gaultier describes as a cross between a pancake and a muffin, baked in molds with gluten-free flour. It’s a dainty but substantial house pastry, with varieties ranging from the sweet (banana rum) to the not-so-sweet (matcha) to the offbeat (miso cake). There are egg sandwiches and chia pudding and, of course, a long list of drinks. Gaultier applied his mixology ethos to the coffee and latte drinks, originally presenting a challenge for his experienced baristas. They prevailed and came up with a banana pudding latte that became a quick best-seller during the soft opening. “I’m the Problem” is a matcha made with cornbread milk (made from cornbread crumbs baked for other dishes). Connie’s has a “curated hot dog menu,” Gaultier explains, plus negronis, old fashioneds and a few frozen drinks.
Inside Connie's Bar
Some of the menu dishes were inspired by a period a couple winters ago when business at Bay 6 was slow, so the team started offering pop-ups with Cajun onigiri. They combined the Cajun cooking of Gaultier’s upbringing with Japanese bites.
“We started realizing how much crossover there is between the two cuisines, because it's seafood and rice and that’s peasant cuisine,” he says.
A hallway connects the two businesses, and Gaultier hopes people will flow back and forth. “When I go out for drinks, I want one nice cocktail, and then I want to switch. That's the hope for us, that people come in for the happy hour drink and then one nice cocktail, and they kind of mosey over to Connie’s for one more beer.”
Verna’s is named in part for the spring equinox and the way in which they hope to have a “terroir-driven experience,” and also his grandmother. Connie’s is Bloem’s derivative of Gaultier’s nickname for Bloem, which has stuck.
Gaultier and Bloem know there is a lot of love for the old Cafe Coco space, and they feel the responsibility there. They’re also happy to be updating (for Codes and for themselves), with more ADA accessibility and better bathrooms, among other perks. They hope people will come and hang out, talking to each other instead of logging into a laptop to work. And while Verna’s and Connie’s won’t be open 24 hours like Cafe Coco once was, they are available morning, noon and night, serving people for whatever they want, be it hot dogs or baby cakes.
