NEW BEDFORD – Cove Surf and Turf owner-chef Jesse DeSouza thinks an elevated terrace providing views of Clarks Cove will be an asset to his restaurant and the city.
“That’s what I’m hoping for,” he said of the plan, which he has been working on with architect Ricardo Romão-Santos for more than three years.
DeSouza opened Cove Surf and Turf at 1500-1502 Cove Road in 2014.
The terrace will be a second-story extension of the restaurant’s dining area with a seating capacity of about 90.
And the city Zoning Board of Appeals agrees that it would be an asset, voting unanimously to grant variances and a special permit for the project at its Jan. 18 meeting.
ZBA member James Clark said, “This project shows a superior grasp of creativity for the city. I think it’s an amazing project.”
‘Sort of a mini Cisco’
Member Robert Schilling said, “It’s very good looking. I think it would be a real draw. It looks like sort of a mini Cisco,” referring to New Bedford’s Cisco Brewers Kitchen and Bar.
DeSouza said he would love to break ground on the project by next winter, but there are a number of regulatory steps still to be taken, which will take time.