{"id":33316,"date":"2019-04-04T11:43:20","date_gmt":"2019-04-04T15:43:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/?p=33316"},"modified":"2019-04-05T12:27:40","modified_gmt":"2019-04-05T16:27:40","slug":"tatu-a-yucatecan-mexican-restaurant-to-occupy-second-floor-space-on-maple-avenue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2019\/04\/tatu-a-yucatecan-mexican-restaurant-to-occupy-second-floor-space-on-maple-avenue\/","title":{"rendered":"Tatu, A Yucatecan Mexican Restaurant, To Occupy Second Floor Space On Maple Avenue"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Owners Kareem NeJame and Jennyfur Spaulding have leased the second-floor space at 17 Maple Ave. from Sinclair Saratoga owner Hilary Morrison to open the new Tatu restaurant.
\u00a92019 Saratoga Photographer.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Christine Graf
\nTatu (pronounced tattoo), a Yucatecan Mexican restaurant, will be opening soon at 17 Maple Ave. in Saratoga Springs.
\nOwners Kareem NeJame and Jennyfur Spaulding have leased the second-floor space from Sinclair Saratoga owner Hilary Morrison. Morrison has operated Sinclair Saratoga, a craft beer pub and game room, on the first floor of the building since 2017.
\nThe building has housed a few businesses, but is well known as the former Metro nightclub.
\n\u201cThree years ago, we put together this concept for Tatu,\u201d said NeJame. \u201cOur original intent was to open in New York City, but we decided to go somewhere for a change of scenery. Saratoga was a natural choice for us. We love the area and love the people so much that it just made sense.\u201d
\nThe couple, both natives of the Syracuse area, moved to Saratoga less than two years ago with the intent of opening Tatu. Since that time, NeJame has been working as the manager at Sperry\u2019s, a restaurant a short distance away on Caroline Street in Saratoga Springs. Spaulding, an artist, worked at Harvest and Hearth before leaving that job to oversee the renovations of the existing space.
\nBecause their location was formerly occupied by other restaurants, including Javier\u2019s, it was already equipped with full commercial kitchen as well as a bar.
\n\u201cThe great thing about this space is that it had already been a restaurant,\u201d said NeJame. \u201cWe didn\u2019t have to start from the ground up and build a new restaurant.\u201d
\nAlthough they made upgrades to the bar, reconfigured the kitchen, and brought in some new kitchen equipment, the majority of the approximately $100,000 they invested in the restaurant was spent on changing its aesthetic.
\n\u201cAll of the furniture and fixtures were hand chosen,\u201d said NeJame. \u201cOur d\u00e9cor is vintage tattoo parlor. It is floor-to-ceiling original art\u2014a lot of it by Jennyfur.\u201d
\nTatu is an abbreviation of the word tatuaje, which translates to tattoo in Spanish. The name is also reflective of Tatu\u2019s Mayan-influenced menu.
\n\u201cThe Mayan culture was among the first in the world to start inking their skin to record stories and tell their stories,\u201d said NeJame.
\nTatu also features the artwork of local tattoo artists, as well as that of Rob Hotte, NeJame\u2019s and Spaulding\u2019s personal tattoo artist from New York City. Hotte has worked closely with Spaulding to design the restaurant\u2019s unique decor.
\n\u201cWhat people don\u2019t realize is that people doing tattoos are really brilliant artists who have chosen to go into a different medium,\u201d said NeJame.
\nAnother aspect of Tatu is its tequila and mezcal library. The glass-enclosed room resembles a storefront and was used by previous owners as a wine room. In addition to being used to house an extensive selection of tequila and mezcal, the library will be used for tastings and private events.
\n\u201cIf there is a tequila or mezcal that exists and is sold in the U.S., we will have at least a bottle of it,\u201d said NeJame. Tatu will also serve wine, beer and other spirits.
\nThe menu will feature food from the Yucatan Peninsula region of Mexico, home to the ancient Mayan civilization. The food that developed in the region has its own style, different from traditional Mexican fare. It was heavily influenced by the Mayan, Caribbean, Spanish, African and Middle Eastern cultures.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s not the typical Mexican that you find in most Mexican restaurants in the U.S. This is in no way a put down\u2014it\u2019s just a different style of Mexican,\u201d said NeJame. \u201cWe aren\u2019t going to have quesadillas and burritos and things like that. We have some really great tacos, but we also have some Yucatecan dishes that are rooted in not just Lebanese and Middle Eastern cuisine but in Mayan cuisine.
\n\u201cThings like the different regional tacos that don\u2019t really even really resemble what we call tacos\u2014things like salbutes and panuchos and items like a black turkey stew which is a really well known dish in the Yucatan.\u201d
\nNeJame described the food as not overly spicy. \u201cEvery dish is ready to eat as it comes out, but sauces can be added,\u201d he said. \u201cThere will be house-made sauces on each table\u2014sweet, smoky, or spicy.\u201d
\nAll tortillas will be fresh, handmade, and baked to order.
\n\u201cThey don\u2019t come frozen in a package from a food distributor. They are made fresh all day every day,\u201d said NeJame. \u201cIf you\u2019ve never had a taco on a fresh-made tortilla, you just don\u2019t know what you are missing.\u201d
\nNeJame and Spaulding are avid travelers, and it was while visiting Mexico that they discovered their love for Yucatecan cuisine. NeJame, the son of Lebanese parents, said many Yucatecan dishes are rooted in Lebanese cuisine.
\nNeJame, a graduate of Villanova University and the French Culinary Institute, will serve as executive chef. He has worked extensively as a chef and has also managed many restaurants.
\nSpaulding also has restaurant experience and will oversee front-of-the-house operations. The dining room seats 60 people, and an elevated outdoor patio that faces Maple Avenue can accommodate an additional 30.
\nThey hope to have their doors open by May 1. Tatu will employ approximately 20 employees and as many as 30 or 40 during the summer. In addition to serving dinner every day, they will serve brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Christine Graf Tatu (pronounced tattoo), a Yucatecan Mexican restaurant, will be opening soon at 17 Maple Ave. in Saratoga Springs. Owners Kareem NeJame and Jennyfur Spaulding have leased the second-floor space from Sinclair Saratoga owner Hilary Morrison. Morrison has operated Sinclair Saratoga, a craft beer pub and game room, on the first floor of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":196,"featured_media":33317,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-news","category-new-businesses"],"yoast_head":"\r\nTatu, A Yucatecan Mexican Restaurant, To Occupy Second Floor Space On Maple Avenue - Saratoga Business Journal<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2019\/04\/tatu-a-yucatecan-mexican-restaurant-to-occupy-second-floor-space-on-maple-avenue\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tatu, A Yucatecan Mexican Restaurant, To Occupy Second Floor Space On Maple Avenue - Saratoga Business Journal\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Christine Graf Tatu (pronounced tattoo), a Yucatecan Mexican restaurant, will be opening soon at 17 Maple Ave. in Saratoga Springs. 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