He is s a proud product of Detroit Public Schools. Omar Mitchell attended Golightly Career and Technical Center and graduated from Finney High School. Mitchell entered several food competitions which earned him a college scholarship. But most of all, his passion for food eventually guided him into pursuing it as a career.
On Mother’s Day, May 14 , Chef Mitchell is expected to open Table No. 2 Restaurant located inside the once shuttered Sweet Georgia Brown restaurant. Since its closing on Monroe St. at the center of Greektown, the space has sat vacant for at least 10 years, but not anymore.
“It’s amazing,” said Chef Mitchell. “I’m looking forward to bringing back true classical dining. That’s what Table No. 2 is always about.”
Always about he said, because this isn’t the first rodeo for the business. Chef Mitchell opened Table No. 2 originally some few short years ago along Livernois in the area that has for a long time been dubbed “Detroit’s Avenue of Fashion.”
The site of the original location had been met with early challenges from minimum parking to less than encouraging foot traffic from the city of Detroit’s construction overhaul of the Livernois through-fare. However, it was COVID-19 and pandemic-era shutdowns issued by the State of Michigan that forced him to change strategy. The restaurant ultimately closed once the owner decided to sell the property.
“That’s actually how Dan Gilbert learned about me, because we got some community awareness behind us and folks were saddened just as much as I was.”
After much hard work and money poured into the original location, Chef Mitchell was left disappointed. But it wasn’t long after that he would find himself being invited by billionaire businessman Gilbert and his team to tour several of their Bedrock facilities for potential re-location.
“Bedrock has been tremendously hospitable to us. It took us over two-and-a-half years of negotiating to get everything in line but now they’ve rolled out the red carpet for me.”
Detroiters can expect to indulge in a wonderful array of plated menu options and with visual presentations that are top notch.
“We’re going to have wonderful plate presentations, great flavorful profiles, performing table-side cookery in front of you, whether it’s a Caesar salad or a bananas Foster flambe made to order, or flaming Spanish coffees. We even make your steak tartare right at your table.”
The extravagant dining experience will even have you witnessing the meat grinder being brought out to your table to grind the fillet for your steak tartare.
Before you’re even plied with food, you’ll be greeted with amazing visual aesthetics that you can’t help but take your camera phone out for some quick shots.
The designer for the dining room setting wasn’t hard to find.
“I was designing on paper and in my head for how I wanted the place to look,” Chef Mitchell said. “Folks ask all the time, who do you use for your designer. I design all my restaurants myself. It’s all hardcore, creativity and putting things together that I think will look good in a restaurant.”
Chef Mitchell said he wants to ensure the design for his Table No. 2 restaurant was sexy, chic, modern and mixed with some social distancing parameters such as circular booths for private dining by the fireplace.
Culinary arts has been such a passion for Chef Mitchell, that he has multiple establishments he owns and operates such as Emaginate in Royal Oak, and another Emaginate location in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
“My hope is customers will come in and take deep breaths, take it all in, and appreciate and enjoy what was created here. Of course, indulging in some great culinary and craft drinks and astonishing guest services.”