Romanian Chefs Set To Launch Bar Gabi in Old Framebar Location Next Month

As early as next month, Bar Gabi will bring modern Romanian cooking to the former Framebar site in Hazel Park. The owners, chefs Gabriel and Gabriela Botezan, bought 23839 John R Road to start their first independent venture.

"It was a dream of ours owning our own space and restaurant so that we can put our own twist to our culture and food," Gabriel Botezan said, according to the Detroit Free Press.

The menu includes Romanian staples with fresh twists. Diners will find mititei, spiced meat rolls hot off the grill, and rich Transylvanian goulash bursting with peppers. Fresh pasta made daily shares the spotlight with a massive pork schnitzel dusted with smoky paprika.

"This is some of the food of our childhood but elevated with the techniques we've picked up over the years," Gabriel Botezan said. "It's rustic, but it's refined. Like Gabby and me, the roots are Romanian, but we don't want to call ourselves traditional."

Both chefs bring strong credentials. They worked at Southfield's Bacco Ristorante and downtown Detroit's Adelina. Gabriel started at a busy Black Sea resort kitchen in Bucharest. Gabriela, who grew up in Transylvania, specialized in pastries.

The space will keep its industrial charm, thanks to Detroit designer Colin Tury, known for Midtown's Vecino. Fresh paint and greenery will brighten the interior. Outside, the iconic "Bar" sign stays, with "Gabi" soon to grace both sides.

Guests can pick from a dozen wines or sip classic drinks like martinis and the Hugo Spritz. A secret door leads to the old Frame area, now set for private gatherings and visiting chefs.

"Hopefully we can portray not just good food but that good vibe," Gabriela Botezan said. "In Romania, when we go hang out and we go for a meal, sometimes it takes so many hours. You sit there for so long, but it's about a really good time."

The spot holds special meaning - the Botezans ran pop-ups here in 2019, before Framebar closed last June.

Watch for dinner service and Sunday brunch to start soon, with exact dates coming shortly.