Cooking it old school: Brad Moore’s new café introduces brunch and education puns

Class is in session at School Bakery and Café, which served up its inaugural Saturday brunch this past weekend. Since opening mid-January, chef Brad Moore’s Liberty Village project has been attracting attention for its gimmicky take on education, complete with ruled-paper menus, school bells and trivia-covered banquettes. But collegiate accessories are for style only. Moore, who assures us that the first full weekend brunch service went off without a hitch, is very clear on the fact that “there are no rules at School.”

With two unceremonious departures from more high-end hot spots (Xacutti and Eleven) behind him, Moore is putting together a different program for School. And this time, he’s not dropping out: “I have plans to expand within this brand,” explains Moore, who is planning such projects as Private School, an extracurricular party on the first Friday of every month, and Detention, a happy hour of sorts that includes instructional sessions (such as mixology courses by resident barkeep Rob Devorchik). Moore’s new curriculum starts with launch parties March 6 and 11, designed to draw in more than the locals-only weekday crowd.

On March 9, Moore will launch a revised menu introducing daily specials with different ethnic influences. One thing that won’t change, though, is School’s house bakery, which draws on influences from trendy to trailer park (think the cupcake version of a Viva Puff cookie). Moore is giddy as a schoolboy to be offering his own dessert indulgences for the first time. “I feel strongly about my brownie,” he says. “I giggle to myself when I say that.”