Art-themed restaurant Galeria opens in Village Center

If indulging in a juicy steak, perusing some fine artwork and gazing out over Lake Baldwin piques your interest, the newest restaurant in town has you covered.

The Galeria restaurant, which has replaced Manny’s Chophouse at 4979 New Broad St., is a new upscale, art-themed steakhouse that combines both tasteful artwork to satisfy the eyes and tasty food to satisfy the palate.

Galeria was founded by a group of international service and hospitality entrepreneurs with backgrounds in both the classical performing arts and culinary arts. Knowing the culture of Baldwin Park, the owners said they set out to create a place that infused both.

“We have an art gallery walled throughout the restaurant, and we feature local artists,” General Manager Adam Searcy says. “They have art for sale, and it acts as décor. We offer fresh steak, seafood, drinks and an eclectic cocktail menu.”

After Manny’s shut down earlier this year, the owners decided to revamp and reimagine the restaurant to combine art and fine food. Although the art adorning the walls is up for sale, Galeria also will have artists painting live.

Galeria boasts outdoor dining along Lake Baldwin, another treat for the eye, and it’s part of what makes it unique, Searcy says. 

“We have the great lakeview dining — I don’t think there’s a spot on the street that can match what we have as far as the view goes,” he says. “It is the same investment group that owned the Manny’s franchise at this location. They have an art and ballet background, so it’s kind of something they were wanting to do for a while, so we renovated.”

Guests at Galeria can enjoy a variety of premium steaks, chops, seafood and salads, all of which are prepared with fresh ingredients. 

The art isn’t limited to the walls, the name and the décor, however. Even the food is artistically named and presented as such. The salads — made to order with the option to add chicken, grilled shrimp or steak — are named for famous artists, including Peter Thorpe, Claude Monet, Peter Paul Rubens and Mabel Alvarez.

The lunch menu consists of smaller plates, offering assorted meats and cheeses, shrimp bites, thick-cut compart duroc bacon and spinalis sliders. For both lunch and dinner, Galeria has both vegan and gluten-free options, as well.

Small plates still are available for dinner, but it’s also the time of day that features main courses such as a center-cut ribeye, dry-aged compart duroc New York strip steak, filet mignon, tomahawk steak, roasted airline chicken, dry aged compart duroc pork chops, a seasonal fish plate, eggplant steak and a pasta dish.

The bar area is another Galeria staple, too. Guests can relax in the lounge section while enjoying happy hour, seasonal craft cocktails, local beer and “poetic” selections of fine wines. Additionally, Wine Down Wednesday takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. every Wednesday on the lakeside patio. For $20 at the door, guests can enjoy bottomless red and white wines and appetizers.

“We’ll have a nice, 10-item brunch menu with an additional add-on to the bloody mary and mimosa bar, which will be unlimited," Searcy says. "You can (also) build your own bloody mary.”

Already, Searcy said, there are many local residents who frequent Galeria for both the food and the bar scene, and the staff knows each by name. Searcy added he’s excited to draw dining and art enthusiasts alike both from inside the community and out.

“It’s been great — a lot of people come two or three times a day, and we know their names and what they drink, just having conversations,” Searcy says of the community response. “We’re mostly hitting the community (right now). I think (Galeria) is just different. It’s something that Baldwin Park (didn’t) have to offer. I think we’ve been able to fill that gap. It’s something to enhance the community, not necessarily to be a competition, but I think it will be something to draw more people into the town and elevate the nighttime dining and bar atmosphere a bit.”