I
came in through the coffeehouse door
in the back to meet up with owners Ann
Stevenson and Curt Catallo. A party of
20 young ladies accompanied me through
the door, and we were met with smooth beat
music and a cacophony of pigments, pat-
terns and textures — and an orange fireplace.
Despite the intense designs, the place is very
cozy and inviting.
Through their Union Group organization,
Ann and Curt have created no fewer than
eight new restaurants in the greater Metro
Detroit region. Gran Castor is one of the
newer ones. What an amazing piece of art this
place is.
I was immediately struck with the relaxed
and artsy atmosphere of the place, the juxta-
position of colors, textures, modern against
vintage. Ann, the owner and designer, has a
flavor all her own and it is on full display in
this location, which happens to be a former
Hooters bar and restaurant on the corner of
Rochester Road and Big Beaver in Troy.
She has taken the history of the place —
which includes the semi-famous years the
building spent as the Wagon Wheel Bar and
Restaurant — and enveloped it in patterned
wallpaper, gorgeous light fixtures and eclec-
tic art pieces.
“The goal of all my restaurant designs is
52 February 7 • 2019
jn
Gran Castor is colorful
new addition to the
restaurant scene.
MARY MELDRUM SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
eats | drinks | sweets
nosh
A Piece
of Art