An overflowing crowd gathered to celebrate the grand reopening of Duo Modern, the upscale restaurant and bar inside Round Top’s Market Hill shopping venue last weekend. The restaurant closed for two days late last week to make way for an interior refresh, eschewing existing traditional furnishings in favor of a vibe more befitting Duo Modern’s moniker.  

Dark paint has been applied to the floors and walls, giving a moodier feel to the space. Large scale abstract art has been rehung, and fresh geometric lighting has been installed in place of traditional crystal chandeliers. 

“When we first opened, we filled the restaurant full of decorative objects, lighting and special chairs — all of which was for sale,” Market Hill owner Paul Michael tells RoundTop.com. “All the good stuff got bought up. So we felt that it was time for a new look and more comfortable chairs.

Premium ergonomic leather seating now has been placed at most of the tables. A mix of small intimate setups and long elevated communal tables showcase some of the new furnishings available through Market Hill’s anchor store Paul Michael

A sleek stone bar with comfortable seating has also been installed, giving people the opportunity to dine at the counter. Diners chose dishes from a menu specially created for the reopening night by beloved chef Gino Llanes. 

First course options included a salad of cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes, chives, olives, onions and blue cheese, an arugula and beet salad with plums, fried guacamole bites, a dish of burrata cheese over marinated grapes and olives, and duck and mole with butternut squash. 

Entree selections included roasted sea bass in coconut ginger sauce with peas, corn and blistered tomatoes, breaded branzino with puttanesca sauce and Swiss chard, oven roasted lobster tail with butternut squash risotto, rigatoni pasta with Italian sausage and pomodoro, grilled beef tenderloin with roasted heirloom potatoes and broccoli, grilled pork chop with carrots and plums, New York strip steak with parmesan truffle fries and rack of lamb with carrots and spinach. 

Tres leches cake and oversized gourmet “Ding Dong” style chocolate cakes from The Bake Shoppe and Cafe were the two dessert offerings. Guests lingered well past closing time enjoying the new atmosphere and catching up with local business owners and friends. 

More changes are planned for Duo Modern in time for the Round Top Antiques + Design Fall Show, including a kitchen expansion and menu refinement. Keep up with what’s coming here