A block north of Roosevelt Row, sits a jet-black building surrounded by a rainbow painted on the sidewalk. Peek through the windows and the glow of red and blue neon hints at what lies inside.
This is Rainbow Road, a Mario Kart-themed boutique apartment building that opened on First Street last year. On Friday, its new ground-floor restaurant, Hero, will welcome its first customers.
Hero continues the building’s theme, with pops of neon and rainbow lampshades. But the theme is subtle — more mid-mod than Mario. Plush pink velvet banquettes curve down one side of the dining room, while orange stools line the wooden bar. The ceiling seems to open, with a cascade of orange light pouring out…