The grassy slope between the Mud Club and Early Terrible, lined by Adirondack chairs, trees, and stacked stone walls, brings a campus quad feel to Mill Hill Road in the heart of Woodstock. For the past eight years, brothers Nicolas and Gray Ballinger have run the tandem businesses, along with their father Doug, with Mud Club dishing out Montreal-style, wood-fired bagels and coffee drinks and Early Terrible holding down the evenings with cocktails and Adriatic Coast-inspired small plates.
But with the brothers packing up and shipping downstate for their next venture, Early Terrible NYC, the two centrally located spots (and the grassy knoll) became available. “I received a phone call from Doug Ballinger, owner of the property, a few weeks ago asking if I would be interested in leasing the space,” says Craig Leonard, who is a partner (and lead designer) in Woodstock restaurants Silvia and Good Night.
The opportunity was a perfect chance for Lisa Choi, who’s been sous cheffing at Silvia for two years, to strike out on her own with Leonard, her brother-in-law, as a partner. Without too much deliberation, the duo signed a 20-year lease on the property. “We didn’t want to do it if we coudln’t believe in it for the long haul,” Leonard says.
Aiming for a May opening, the future Gemela will transform the tandem spots into a vibrant all-day destination for breakfast, lunch, and evening bar service. While renovations are “quite extensive,” Leonard and Choi are committed to maintaining the property’s rustic charm while infusing it with a fresh look. “It’s going to have a different vibe, but we’re keeping some of the barn feel it had before,” Leonard explains. “It’ll be an accessible, casual space.”
The larger building, formerly Early Terrible, will serve breakfast and lunch in a 36-seat indoor space, complemented by extensive outdoor seating. As the sun sets, it will transition into a bar featuring small plates. “I don’t even think we’ll close between lunch and the bar—we’ll just go straight into evening service,” Leonard notes.
The smaller building, previously Mud Club, will house a more casual, grab-and-go-style cafe serving coffee, soft-serve ice cream, sandwiches, salads, pastries, and other from-scratch food items. Patrons can enjoy their food on the outdoor property or take it to go. A wood-fired oven remains from the space’s previous incarnation, and while its exact use is still undecided, it presents future possibilities.
“This is Lisa’s first restaurant,” Leonard emphasizes. “She’s an established chef in her own right and will be doing her own thing different from Silvia.” Though the exact cuisine is still being finalized, guests can expect an inviting and diverse menu. “Let’s put it this way: There’s going to be something delicious and interesting for everybody,” Leonard says.
Gemela is not the only project on the horizon for Leonard, who also purchased the property next door, an abandoned Brownfield gas station, with business partner Thomas Pace. The pair are in the approval phase for their plans to transform the lot into a sustainably built boutique hotel with up to 17 guest rooms.
“If that project materializes, then Gemela will become part of those grounds,” Leonard says. “We’ll join the two; the fence will come down. Guests of the hotel will have a breakfast-lunch place to enjoy and dinner across the street at Silvia.”
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While the hotel project is several years out, for now, the focus is on getting Gemela up and running. With a blend of casual daytime dining, evening bar service, and grab-and-go options, it promises to be a dynamic, centrally located addition to Woodstock’s food scene.
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