Goodbye Cafe on the Square, hello Martha Nell’s

Cafe on the Square, a landmark Asheville restaurant that opened on Pack Square when downtown was a ghost town, has announced that it’s heading in a new direction. In a move that surprises me, the restaurant has a new name — Martha Nell’s — and a new menu (“Southern food with a Texan kick”).

I’ve had a long love-affair with Cafe on the Square, a beacon of light in Asheville when downtown was nothing to brag about. It was a hang-out for me, and I got to know founders Bill and Shelagh Byrne and the people they employed.

As downtown has changed and grown more vibrant, the constant for the last nearly 20 years has been Cafe on the Square, so perhaps it is time for a shake-up. I haven’t eaten at the remade restaurant, so I can’t comment on the quality of the food. A quick look at the menu doesn’t look all that different from what you can find at any of a number of Asheville restaurants.

What’s happening at Martha Nell’s? Here’s an explanation from the restaurant’s web site. One quick note – Michel Baudouin owns Bouchon restaurant on Lexington Avenue, and he is currently the president of the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association.

Vonciel Buchanan Baudouin is Martha Nell’s managing partner and hails from the great state of Texas. She offers a culinary talent with rich Southern flair. Take a peek at our menus, and you’ll see familiar choices, revived favorites and regional traditions.

Michel Baudouin is her partner-in-culinary-crime. He was born and raised in France. He arrived in Texas almost 30 years ago…. so he could meet Miss Vonciel. When he has time to get away from his popular French bistro on Lexington Avenue, you might see him walking toward Pack Square to join us at Martha Nell’s.

Tracy Adler is a native of Michigan and a beloved Yankee within our Southern community. She’s a terrible cook so she focuses her talents elsewhere. Tracy is the creator of the Yum Yum Dishes and serves as Vonciel’s right-hand-gal.

How did the Baudouins find themselves partnering with Miss Adler?

When the Baudouins arrived in Asheville in 2001, mutual friends introduced them to Tracy Adler, proprietor of Cafe on the Square. Tracy had a background in the field of plastics engineering and was running Martha Nell’s (formerly Cafe on the Square) as a ‘business owner’ not as a ‘foodie’. It worked but there was room for improvement.

Tracy and Michel began working together in 2002 as two of the original board members of the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association (AIR). It was the beginning of a strong friendship.

As a single mother of two, Tracy decided that it was time to find a partner so she could fulfill family obligations. There was no doubt about who it needed to be. She knew her friends were the right people to take the reins. The three of them teamed up in the summer of 2008.

Although Michel helps behind the scenes, it is Vonciel’s vision and leadership and Tracy’s enthusiastic support that is transforming this local landmark. Their combined business sense, love of cooking and shared passion for service professionalism influences everything they do at Martha Nell’s.

What do you think of the change? Have you eaten at the new Martha Nell’s?