Castaway to hold grand reopening after renovation

The restaurant group behind the Castaway restaurant in Burbank is looking to improve the dining experience it offers customers.

For the past eight months, Specialty Restaurants Corp. has been renovating the 55-year-old landmark, giving it a fresh look and changing the dynamics of how the business operates.

After investing about $10 million in the facility, the company is scheduled to hold a grand reopening of the Castaway on May 3, said Ryan Smith, regional director of the restaurant group.

“We didn’t want people to think that we’re taking away something [from the restaurant],” he said. “We’re giving back something that’s just an elevated experience.”

The new approach applies to many facets of the restaurant. There’s a more modern look to the entryway, where the designers used deep, rich-colored wood for the doorway. The concierge desk has been updated, looking more like the help desk at a high-end hotel.

Over the bar are two large pieces of driftwood imported from the Pacific Northwest. The restaurant’s seating area is also new, with each table offering a picturesque view overlooking Burbank, Smith said.

Additionally, there is a new dry-aging room made out of glass and pink Himalayan salt bricks to help cure and dry-age various expensive cuts of meat.

There’s also a new wine cellar designed by Paul Coker, an esteemed sommelier in charge of the drinks served at the Castaway. Smith said every glass of wine will be decanted and served to guests from that room instead of the bar.

The outdoor patio has been renovated and includes several fire pits and lounge furniture to give customers a more comfortable place to relax after dinner.

For those who want a more intimate and exclusive location to spend their evening, Smith said the revamped Green Room will do just that.

He said guests can make reservations on the mobile app Resy to reserve either a spot at the bar, a table inside or the lounge area outside on the patio.

However, those who want to casually stop by the exclusive Green Room will have to know someone on the inside, Smith said.

“This is about having a high-end experience here at the property,” he said.

The menu, which is being created by executive chef Perry Pollaci, will also be different and have a steak-forward menu.

Smith explained that he did not want the Castaway to be labeled as just another steakhouse with white linen tablecloths. The restaurant will still offer large dry-age tomahawk rib-eye steaks worth well over $100. However, guests can also order smaller, less-expensive cuts of meat — such as hangar, bavette and zabuton — that are in the $35 range.

The brunch menu has also changed. Castaway will no longer be serving brunch in large chafing dishes and will instead move toward more specialty selections which include crab-cake eggs benedict as well as lobster and waffles — a more expensive spin on chicken and waffles, Smith said.

Aware the numerous changes could unsettle longtime customers, Smith said it was important the restaurant receive feedback from its guests to make sure it wasn’t doing anything too far out of left field.

There were several invite-only previews held at the Castaway over the past week to gauge how customers perceived the renovation, and, so far, the response has been positive, Smith said.

“I think all of Burbank is going to love what we do here,” he said.

anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com

Twitter: @acocarpio