(nearly) Peachy Keen: The Inside Look at a New Lake Morton Establishment

At times, an exquisitely crafted cocktail can serve as a social lubricant or help establish a mood that matches an occasion.

For Jeannie Weaver Lopez, the innovator behind the beloved Revival bar at the heart of Downtown, a couple of memorable espresso martinis were the impetus for a new entrepreneurial venture that requires a new kind of mixology that she is still figuring out.

“I knew this property was available … and I loved Richard [DeAngelis] and always loved the space,” Lopez says about the property with Lake Morton views that was previously Red Door. “And over a couple espresso martinis the whole concept and vision [came together]…within two hours I knew how bright I wanted it to look and I knew I wanted to call it Peach House. All of that came to me so organically—and then nothing has been that easy since.”

You wouldn’t know the process hasn’t been seamless when you walk into the eclectic inviting space complete with a sparkling terrazzo countertop bar, custom arches and a feature floral wall built by Bloom Shakalaka. 

But Lopez, who describes herself as melancholy at times, has a great appreciation for what it takes to create and continually provide a stellar experience in the hospitality industry—and she won’t rest until she has solved the “steep learning curve” of going from operating a cocktail bar to creating a consistently wonderful food and drink experience for patrons.  

As she goes deeper into this new adventure that officially started in June, Lopez leans on what she knows best.

“One time I had a boss tell me that only crazy people are in the hospitality industry. But also, some of the best, smartest people I’ve ever met have been in hospitality.“

As you scan Peach House’s cocktail menu it becomes clear that Lopez is an artist at heart. There are the classics like a passion fruit margarita, and yes, an espresso martini—but there are an abundance of fun and whimsical drinks, including many featuring her homemade syrups. 

“It’s so much easier to just get ‘fake’ pumpkin, but real pumpkin just tastes better. You have to almost caramelize it, you have to cook it for so long—it’s such a pain,” she says.

One of the payoffs are seasonal drinks like the Peach Cobbler Old Fashioned which one bartender says is “like a warm peach that is breaded in Cinnamon Toast Crunch.”

Patrons can enjoy memorable drinks in a space that is inspired by the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel and started out with a more “West Palm Beach” aesthetic in mind, but ended up more “Old Key west” style, according to the 39-year-old who paid her dues in the industry as a bartender at Linksters for nearly seven years. The sprawling front porch is filled with Florida greenery, and regulars will likely encounter Stella, a friendly neighborhood cat who one patron kindly gifted a peach collar to.

Lopez calls the food side of the business much more nuanced than drinks because people’s palates are so diverse. With that in mind, her strategy was to develop a simple menu with food offerings that match the atmosphere of the 1927 home and work well year round.

Some of the early fan favorites include the Kentucky Fried Gator nuggets, the fresh and vibrant burrata and tomato, and the classic smash burger.

As with Peach House’s drinks, it’s the little details that elevate the fare. Many of the breads, including the warm crusty bread with the buratta, the whipped ricotta toast and the fine textured hamburger buns are sourced from Sullivan Street, a revered NYC style bakery based out of Miami.

The banoffee pie is a salted graham cracker crust that serves as a delectable foundation for dulce de leche, fresh sliced bananas and homemade whipped cream that show off the restaurant’s commitment to creating distinctive dishes .

“We cook the dulce de leche on low for three hours, and it creates the ideal consistency,” Lopez says. “It’s a lot of work, but it comes out just right, and it’s so worth it.”

That sentiment rings true of so many parts of the journey of what Peach House is and what Peach House is aiming to become.

The plan for the near future is to expand the drink menu and start offering a lunch menu, as well as brunch fare on the weekends. 

For now, she is working diligently to get her staff in comfortable rhythm, she is learning to deal with frustrations like a cooler unit breaking the day before the soft open, as well as fluctuating food prices and availability, all while remembering why she loves the challenge of creating something lasting in a cutthroat industry.

“One time I had a boss tell me that only crazy people are in the hospitality industry. But also, some of the best, smartest people I’ve ever met have been in hospitality,” she says. “You have to manage people, you have to pay attention to the environment…and people like me gravitate toward it because there’s constantly something new.”

Lopez is quick to acknowledge she could never have embarked on this new adventure without the support, hard work and creative instincts of her husband, Ryan Lopez.

“He is really the person that’s responsible for the ambiance of Revival and Peach House,” Jeannie said. “The intimate lighting, the velvet curtains, the plants—those are all Ryan’s ideas.” 

While she’s building something new, it gives her confidence when she learns people who were regulars at the Red Door are now frequenting her new restaurant in the
same spot. 

The tough days and the good days might blur together right now for Lopez, but if the success of Revival is any indication, she might one day soon be able to say she’s feeling “peachy keen” about how her vision turned into a reality. We believe she already has something worth celebrating—it’s up to her when she’s ready to do that.