Sampan's Michael Schulson Opens Double Knot, a Coffeehouse-Japanese Hybrid

After two ridiculously successful summers with Independence Beer Garden and nearly six great years running Sampan (not to mention five years of Graffiti Bar), Michael Schulson has set his sights on the former Sansom St. Cinema space for Double Knot, a sort of coffee-slash-sushi house to join his current 13th street Asian food empire.
 

Double Knot will, apparently, wear a whole bunch of hats - in addition to serving coffee and drinks from a full service bar, the first floor will sell retail items that Schulson has described as “curios,” and at the coffee bar, you can indulge in Vietnamese cuisine as well as getting your caffeine fix. After you’re caffeinated and shopped out, head down a hidden staircase to a huge basement space serving sushi and rotabayaki (grilled dishes), which will be headed up by former Atlantic City Iyazaka chef Kevin Yanaga.
 

The upstairs coffee bar will turn into a good old regular bar come nighttime, where they’ll serve coffee-inspired cocktails like espresso-tinis alongside wine, beer and other curated concoctions.

Double Knot is now open, so stop in for… well, any number of things, or make your OpenTable reservation for next week right now.

Photo via Flickr user Yuchinlo Chiya