February 7 • 2019 53
jn
to have fun and show
some spirit,” Ann says.
She credits the name,
Gran Castor, which
means “Big Beaver” in
Spanish, to her hus-
band, Curt Catallo.
“I am looking to
create a space that has
broad appeal and gives
a feeling of home, but
with a personal touch,”
Ann says. “A restaurant
is ultimately a risk, but
it is also a joy.”
The vibrant colors,
the beautiful lighting,
the decorative floors
and even the doors to the men’
s and
ladies’
rooms are unique and tex-
tured. Every inch offers up a bounty
of thoughtful design and color. The
artist in me is so happy to notice
that nothing really matches, but it
all fits together in a madcap orches-
tra of life and beauty. No formulaic
color coding or safely surveyed
neutral tones here, thank you very
much. Bravo!
Curt and Ann are independent
business owners and each of their
several restaurants is individualistic
and unique. You might be familiar
with the Vinsetta Garage in Royal
Oak or Honcho in Rochester or the
Fenton Firehall. When they plan and
create a new restaurant, they honor
the space and the history as well as
the surrounding culture to bring a
flagrantly different venue to the com-
munity. They are all standouts.
Ann and Curt were very inter-
ested in maintaining Latin flavors
and bringing a cultural
intersection to the food
and the space. You can
find and enjoy Porchetta
Mexicana or Tamale Pie
on the menu. Rice bowls
are very popular as well.
I inquired about an
interesting and lonely
photograph of a man in a
bathrobe on the far wall
of the restaurant that has
been blown up to about
3 feet by 4 feet. It turns
out this is an older pho-
tograph of Alan Miller,
Ann and Curt’
s attorney
and friend. They inform
me that he is featured in some odd
way in each of their restaurants.
There is another large rather jarring
photo of him wearing only a speedo
on the wall in the private dining area
that seats about 30 people. So wacky
and yet personal and fun, too. Mr.
Miller seems like an inviting, fun
kind of man.
Gran Castor mostly serves the
lunch crowd in the Big Beaver busi-
ness corridor, but the bar and menu
reach into the evening. In the warm-
er weather, the several garage doors
around Gran Castor will open to a
patio area offering more seating and
fresh air.
These two owners of the Union
Adworks are not finished yet either.
They let it slip that they are looking
to the city of Oak Park for their next
restaurant venture.
I recommend the chopped salad at
Gran Castor and the rice bowls. Both
are delicious. ■
Gran Castor
Rochester Road, Troy
(248) 278-7777
grancastor.com
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