Scene Magazine, Published May 28, 2003
Elaine T. Cicora

Strolling down Larchmere Boulevard, with its antique shops, gift boutiques, and neighborly eateries, is already one of our favorite ways to score a dose of East Side hipitude. Now the scene promises to get even hotter, with the late-summer arrival of Boulevard Blue (12718 Larchmere), a contemporary American restaurant with a glass-enclosed garden room, live jazz, and a moderately priced menu of upscale eats.

GM Andy Himmel is a Beachwood native who's apparently genetically predisposed to combining food and jazz: His dad, Martin Himmel, was the original owner of the Boarding House in nearby University Circle. To run the kitchen, Himmel has tapped Scott Wuenneman, former sous chef at Cameron Mitchell's Columbus restaurant, M. Initially, the 116-seat restaurant will serve dinner only, with lunch hours to be added eventually.

But the real behind-the-scenes shaker is the property's owner, Lynne Alfred. A champion of small-scale urban renewal, Alfred is developing a history of buying run-down area properties and sprucing them up. That's what she did five years ago with a former pet hospital, turning it into a stylish, glass-fronted boutique called the Dancing Sheep; that's what she hopes to do here, transforming a decrepit pizza joint into a spot that should enhance the entire neighborhood.