Central, the downtown "speakeasy" and Perriera Creperie's rich, classy uncle, is moving away from crepes and rolling out a new menu. Eater reports that owner Dustin Knox enlisted Jake Martin, formerly of Fenouil and Carlyle, to design a new menu that focuses on small plates and local, seasonal ingredients. I thought the crepes worked well with Central's repertoire of classic cocktails, but apparently the bulk of diners didn't agree.

As previously reported, the Ankeny Alley that houses Central has gone car-free for the summer, so if you're worried about someone turning up their nose at you in Central's too-cool interior, you can always enjoy your cocktail outside with some homeless dudes. And as of tomorrow, when a new happy hour debuts (a wide selection of highballs for $5, time TBD), you might be able to buy them a drink.

New menu is after the jump...

Cold (5pm to close)

Heirloom Tomatoes, local strawberries, arugula 8.
Sockeye salmon crudo, fennel, watermelon, yazu koshu 11.
Black Mission fig, frisee, shaved prosciutto, reggiano 9.
Simple garden greens, shaved radish, chevre, lemon 8.
Steak tartare, traditional garnishes 11.

Hot (5pm to 10pm)

Potato gnocchi, lobster, tarragon, mascarpone 16.
Grilled flatiron, roasted tomoato, parsley, blue cheese 14.
Crispy squash blossoms, grilled summer squash, sweet basil pesto 12.
Olive oil poached salmon, artichoke, lemon, arugula 13.
Braised chicken thigh, pole beans, braising jus 13.