A Look at Michael Schulson’s Double Knot

By Arthur Etchells· 1/29/2016, 1:17 p.m.

Michael Schulson’s Double Knot | Double the concepts in one space.

Michael Schulson’s Double Knot is set to open Tuesday, February 2nd next to his Sampan on 13th Street. The two-floored space is a gorgeous coffee focused cafe and bar upstairs, with a sexy izakaya and sushi bar downstairs. The cafe will open at 7 a.m. daily serving coffee under the guidance of Elixr’s Evan Inatome. Schulson has loved Elixr’s coffee since its original location on Sansom Street. So when it was time to get coffee help at the cafe, Schulson sought Inatome out to do the coffee at Double Knot. Inatome has installed a Modbar coffee system with bar top espresso, steam and pour over coffee stations. It is only one of ten such installations in the country. In addition to the Modbar system, one of the beer taps behind the bar will offer cold brewed draft coffee on nitro.

The cafe has seating for 35 along a comfortable banquette, leather armchairs and along a drink rail in the back. In addition to exposed brick, distressed mirrors and exposed tiles and reclaimed wood lath (the strips of wood found behind plaster walls). The front of the cafe includes floor to ceiling walls of knick-knacks and newspaper racks.

Pastries from Roxxanne Delle Site

Pastry chef Roxxanne Delle Site is handling the pastry service that includes a rotating cast of turnovers, donuts, cookies, brownies and more. An Asian influence appears at lunchtime as create-your-own lunch bowls and banh mi are offered. For $7 customers can choose a base (rice, noodles, salad, banh mi sandwich), protein (pork, shrimp, tofu, chicken, etc.) and toppings (cabbage, pickled carrots, daikon, mint, cilantro). Coffee based cocktails, beer and a full bar are also available throughout the day. Schulson’s interested to see how many take him up on the offer to spike a coffee or enjoy a Irish Coffee with fresh whipped cream.

As late afternoon rolls around, the upstairs at Double Knot becomes a cocktail bar. Stools are set up at the bar and a door to Sampan connects the two venues. A subset of Double Knot’s robatayaki menu will be served upstairs and a daily punch, wine and beer will become the center of the drink program.

Downstairs, the dark and sexy sushi bar and dining room opens at five. The 80-seat space is anchored by the sushi bar and the sushi of chef Kevin Yanaga. Yanaga has worked with Schulson for years at Atlantic City’s Izakaya and is the owner of one of the best food porn Instagram accounts out there. At Double Knot, Yanaga will oversee five rice cookers, a $15,000 rice mixer and four-level robata grill imported from London. Down a few steps from the 12-seat sushi bar is the main dining room with lots of carved out space for canoodling and sushi eating. Artwork is provided by design and tattoo studio, True Hand Society. In the far corner is an attractive bar from which beverage director Zachary Davis can run the show.

Rohe Creative, who has also designed Bud & Marilyn’s and Boot & Saddle to name a couple, has surely outdone itself this time. Even before its opening, Double Knot was a hard spot to leave.