In this week’s Dish we reveal that Ristorante Al Dente on the Mall is moving over to the Ix building in May, and that the folks at Escafé are opening another restaurant in the space, called The Upstairs. Well, we just got a call from Escafé owner Mark Brown this morning and he and manger Chip Sawyer (pictured left) invited us over for a tour.

Brown, who’s owned the building for three years now, has essentially gutted the old Al Dente space, removing the wall board in one room to reveal some beautiful brickwork. He’s also taken out the ceiling, which raises it up about six more feet and exposes two smartly designed wooden cross beams. Along the big arched window facing the Mall, he’s building a cushioned bench that will face a brand new u-shaped bar, behind which he’s putting some big bucks into creating a state-of-the-art wine cellar.

Armchair Historians take note: Brown says some of his older customers have always said there was a door behind one of the walls, which was rumored to be an entrance to an old brothel in the adjacent building. True? Who knows. But sure enough, when he took down the wallboard, there it was.

He’s also putting in a brand new kitchen, complete with a top-of-the-line char-broiler he says is a “real ass-kicker” when it comes to grillin’, and some kind of fancy machine that cooks delicacies like fois gras. “You can hard boil and egg so the center is like jelly,” he says.

Brown says he imagines an upscale but casual bar scene, serving up high-end cognacs, scotches, and tequilas (and wine, of course), and an restaurant serving up prime USDA steaks and seafood straight from the briny deep.

As for an opening date? That’s where Brown is being cautious. He expects the construction to be done in a couple of weeks, and hopes to open The Upstairs in April or May.