Downtown develops as Little Village moves, Sadaf Cafe opens

The Little Village downtown reopened Friday in its new location in the Kress Building, 447 Third St., taking over the corner spot of the historic structure. Built in 1890, the long-empty space was transformed through a breakneck 41-day renovation into a luxurious dining room that seats 130 people and provides double the kitchen space of the old location, according to manager Sergio Britos. Several old architectural details, such as the antique green columns that extend to the ceiling, give the modern, airy dining area some turn-of-the-century character. Fans of the old location’s food needn’t worry, though, as the menu’s the same as ever. Click here to see a slideshow of the Little Village’s new locale. A few blocks away, another long-empty space has been taken over by a new business. The broken front door and darkened windows of the former Acapulco Mexican Restaurant on North Boulevard have been replaced with the opening of a cheery new Greek-Lebanese diner, Sadaf Café. “I love the downtown area, and I wanted to do something in this area,” says owner Sam Bassam. Sadaf offers to-go options from gyros to baba ganoush, fresh-cooked every morning. Word of mouth is already spreading. “We’ve been open from the beginning of the month, and we have people coming back again and again,” says Bassam. Click here to see photos of Sadaf Café.