The Mildred (824 S. Eighth St.) is sporting a cozier new look.
A renovation after only seven months in business?
Owners Mike Dorris and Mike Santoro had notions of doing a larger renovation to the dining room (the former James), but ran out of time.
They were fine with the bar area. Santoro's wife, Priya, says the bar area, which had a lovely fireplace, gained instant atmosphere with banquette seating.
They also were fine with the semiprivate dining area after opening that room to the rest of the restaurant.
Recently, designer Tennyson Tippy was called in to redo the dining room. Tippy, a wallpaper specialist, started with wallpaper. Then came painting, installation of bead board, addition of lighting, framed fabric panels and more mirrors.
Perhaps this will remedy what one critic, who otherwise enjoyed the food, called an "energy void."