By Justin Flagel
A respected organization made up of female entrepreneurs and a local property group have combined forces to bring a carefully crafted dining experience to downtown Buchanan.
Thistledown & Row opened its doors on New Years Day, adding a new restaurant option to Buchanan’s growing main corridor and reviving one of the city’s historic buildings, the “Redden Building.”
The restaurant continues the philosophy of owner Buchanan Craft’s other restaurant, River Saint Joe, featuring a menu built on a relationship with Flatwater Farms and a desire to bring diners meals crafted with local, organic produce and ingredients. Head Chef Casey Haner, a Buchanan native, got his start in the high school culinary program and fell in love with food, working his way through multiple local eateries before finding his home at Thistledown & Row.
According to Kat Amundson, who heads up Social Media, Marketing & Events for Buchanan Craft, the menu will focus on seasonal ingredients and local sourcing, evolving as the weather and the needs of the customers change. The current offerings include more casual sandwich options and a variety of entrées including duck, salmon, chicken, beef, and vegetarian items.
The Sunday brunch ranges from breakfast classics like eggs, biscuits & gravy, and pancakes to more sophisticated options including smoked salmon, a breakfast burger, and an omelette using duck eggs.
For those interested in a Sunday Funday experience, a unique variety of mimosas are available, both as single beverages or in a flight sampling three options.
The bar offers complex drinks, both alcoholic and those without alcohol, including craft soda fizzers and mocktails. The drink menu includes wine, but leans heavily on cider and mead. Patrons familiar with River Saint Joe may recognize some ciders, but will be greeted with an expanded variety at Thistledown & Row. The bar also utilizes the ciders as a base for cocktails.
As with the food, the single origin ciders will evolve, focusing on specific local apples, seasonal ingredients, and what Kat referred to as “unusual” botanicals. The mead is made in-house using honey. Cocktails will expand beyond cider, incorporating mead and wine. The bar staff is keeping their fingers on the pulse of the craft non-alcoholic boom and intend to grow non-boozy options to match customer needs and industry expansions.
The name, Thistledown and Row, was born of the collaboration between the women-owned Buchanan Craft and Rowland Property Group. Pulled from the poem “The River St. Joe” by satirist Benjamin F King, “thistle-down” references the softer portion atop the plants witnessed during a pleasant day along the water. “Row” moves from the flora and fauna to nature’s other offering, the flowing waters of local rivers and creeks. The McCoy Creek literally runs under the building and it was part-owner Fran Tuite’s love of the river sport of rowing that brought her to the Saint Joe River.
The building sits long and thin like a rowhouse, decorated in a bright scattering of inspiration based on nature, plant-life, water, and creative expression. Art from Tuite’s own personal collection adorns the walls, matching the individual themes of the bar-side, known as “Row” and the dining room, “Thistledown”. The bar is framed with actual oars, along with other furnishings emphasizing water and water sport. A consistent use of natural elements blends into the dining area and amenities such as the restrooms. A variety of folk art, including that of St. Joseph artist David Smykal, adds to the playful ambience and feminine themes found throughout.
“This place would certainly not exist if it weren’t for the women who own it,” said Kat.
Dining is both intimate, with small tables ideal for quiet conversation, and unenclosed, with bright colors, open air, and wall cut-outs uniting the two main rooms.
The openings existed when the building was acquired, one of many elements kept intact or reused during the reconstruction. Original tin tile was utilized for the ceiling, original maple wood was rescued, exposed brick and original mouldings were kept intact when possible, and original glass still fills the windows.
The building, empty for nearly two decades, was formerly a working restaurant, and in part, the former video rental store of Buchanan.
“They were so excited,” Kat said of Rowland Property Group, when they approached Buchanan Craft about turning the space into a restaurant. “We could see the potential.”
Open for only a few weeks, she describes the reception by the city, fans of River Saint Joe, and new patrons, as “amazing,” even as they still get their feet under them. They are excited to be a part of the larger renewal of downtown Buchanan.
“We have made a commitment to this community,” Kat said. “There’s a lot of exciting things happening. We’re just a part of a larger movement.”
They look forward to plugging into local events, including those at Buchanan Common. The Thistledown and Row team will be planning events of their own and hope to expand hours and services in the warmer months, including a walk-up to go window for food and drink.
Reservations and additional information can be found at thistledownandrow.com or by following the restaurant on social media.
