Big Cat Restaurant and Market Opens in Raleigh's East Mordecai Neighborhood

A crew of big-name Triangle chefs has joined forces on Big Cat, a multi-concept restaurant, full bar, and market posted up at the corner of Brookside Drive and Glascock Street in Raleigh's East Mordecai neighborhood. Big Cat opened in the former Brookside Bodega space at 1000 Brookside Drive on March 25, and the ownership group behind it may be the most decorated in recent Raleigh restaurant history.

The group includes Cheetie Kumar and Paul Siler of Ajja, Marshall Davis and Angela Salamanca of Mala Pata, and Justin Pasfield of Locals Seafood and Person Street Bar. Collectively, they boast James Beard nominations and a Michelin Bib Gourmand. The group has been working on the idea since last summer, after Pasfield was approached about taking over the space.

Big Cat offers table-service dining, a full bar, an all-season covered and heated outdoor patio, and a small-footprint market connecting the counter with the bar and tavern, with a curated wine selection, everyday needs for families, and prepared foods to go. The partners plan to operate separate shifts in the same footprint, with a daytime market and cafe setup that transitions into full dinner and bar service at night.

Kumar is leading the kitchen. Under her direction, the menu features slow-roasted, lightly smoked North Carolina heritage chickens, big crunchy salads, hearty braises in winter, and marinated Mediterranean summer vegetables with grilled lamb or seafood. A small daytime menu, including sandwiches stuffed with house pickles and global flavors, as well as soft serve, will be available year-round. The opening menu also includes roasted North Carolina oysters, several flavors of chicken wings, fresh green salads, and a nine-layer dip.

Kumar said the group put a lot of thought into the layout of the space, noting it previously felt like too much of a convenience store and not enough like a welcoming restaurant. The redesign shows: the interior is warm-toned, and some of the lightbulbs are even painted orange to give the space a calming glow. There's no forgetting the name once you enter, either. Cat art is everywhere, including a couple of very big 3-D kitties poking whiskery faces through the walls.

The name itself carries neighborhood meaning. It nods to the many feline intersections in the neighborhoods surrounding Big Cat, including the Conn Elementary Cougars, Joyner Elementary Jaguars, and Lion's Park. "Big Cat is also a term for a big shot and we liked the playfulness of that," Marshall Davis said.

Before the restaurant opened its doors, the team previewed the space with Pop Cat at Big Cat. On Saturday, March 21, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., they hosted North Carolina culture producers in art, music, food, beverage, film, photography, architecture, and design, with Locals Seafood and Mala Pata popping up with food on the patio while Big Cat served drinks and soft serve ice cream for all ages.

Kumar acknowledged that some spaces develop a reputation, but said she couldn't think of a better location than the intersection of the Mordecai and Oakwood neighborhoods, with other successful businesses like The Optimist next door. Reservations are available through OpenTable. Big Cat can be found on Instagram at @bigcat.brookside.