Chef Danny Van brought a decade of well-regarded fine dining to E. Liberty, but Taste Kitchen announced its closing as of July 20.
He tells the Observer that, in the face of diminished sales, his original Lansing-based investor backed out rather than renew the lease in the Michigan Theater Building, taking the valuable Class C liquor license with him.
A new owner is planning a more casual and affordable Vietnamese restaurant called Saigon Social House, he says. It will combine Taste Kitchen with Van’s adjacent plant-based offshoot Red Lotus (Marketplace Changes, January), which he’ll continue to operate until the new venture is closer to launch.
“I think this is probably better in terms of changing the concept because of the economy right now,” Van says.
He anticipates staying on through the transition to consult and share recipes, but ultimately he’s thinking about opening a bed-and-breakfast in Hawaii.
Red Lotus, 529 E. Liberty. (734) 369–4241. Tues.–Sun. 11:30 a.m.–8 p.m. Closed Mon. tastekitchena2.com/red-lotus-kitchen-menu
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