Black Rabbit: family dining in Lakeville

LAKEVILLE — The Black Rabbit is a new business, but there are familiar faces behind it. Kendra Chapman, longtime innkeeper at The White Hart, and her husband, Corey, whose voice many will recognize from radio station WQQQ ( Q103FM, before it was affiliated with NPR station WSHU), plan to open their family-friendly restaurant on Ethan Allen Street in the beginning of June.“The focus is on family, casual dining,” Kendra said. “There will be a large bar with two flat-screen televisions. There will be five booths to make it comfortable, and we’re keeping the banquette seating along the side wall. There will also be outdoor seating.”The Chapmans have hired Anthony Silva of Pine Plains to build the bar, which will take up two walls and seat 14. The building started life as a laundromat. It has been renovated several times over the past decade to accommodate restaurants that included, most recently, Café Giulia, which has moved to 329 Main St. and expects to reopen in June. Other than building the massive new bar, the Chapmans have not changed much, structurally.“It’s got a great brick oven in the basement, so we’ll have flatbreads,” Kendra said. “And we’ll serve my almost-famous New England clam chowder.”“I think you can call it famous at this point,” her spouse interjected.After leaving The White Hart in September 2009, Kendra took on a small restaurant business in Sheffield, Mass. Chapman’s Chowder House operated within the Sheffield Pub. Kendra said she took the opportunity to learn the cooking side of the business and to perfect some recipes.The chowder house was small — Kendra and Corey did it all on their own — and it gave the duo the experience of working together.“I cooked and Corey served and did the bookkeeping,” Kendra said.“And dishes!” Corey added. “We didn’t even have a dishwasher.”“We learned that Corey definitely belongs in the front of the house,” Kendra said with a laugh.“Hey, I can fry anything in the Fryolator,” Corey said.“We learned a tremendous amount over the last year and I feel confident about putting together a great menu at reasonable prices,” Kendra said. “I worked on some recipes that have come together nicely.”In addition to her clam chowder, Kendra said her “tater tots,”made with cheddar and bacon, have had a good reception.The menu will offer lots of options. Diners will be able to start with french fries, for example, and add chili, cheddar cheese and sour cream. Or they can start with a basic burger, add barbecue sauce, bacon, onions and Swiss cheese. The lunch menu will offer popular fare such as salads, pizza and sandwiches, ranging in price from $7.50 to $13.50. Entrees on the dinner menu will run from $15 to $18 and will include homestyle favorites such as meatloaf and fish and chips.The Chapmans plan to offer eight draft beers and a “delicious, affordable” wine list with a glass of house wine set to cost around $5.50.Kendra said she also plans to offer a box lunch for people on their way to the Grove.“We’re really trying to have a range of options that everybody feels comfortable with, local and weekender,” Kendra said.The Black Rabbit, 2 Ethan Allen St., will be open in June six days a week for lunch and dinner, closed Tuesdays.