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