The patio is drenched in sunlight and the sidewalks are crowded in lunchtime traffic. Patrick Laguens has escaped the clutter of power tools, construction noises and a small group of hard-at-work friends to lounge on the one Old Town patio without glistening water glasses, plates of bulging salads or a maneuvering wait staff.

Soon, however, Laguens' patio will be adorned with herb baskets and packed with diners noshing into heirloom apple salads, black cod, pommes frites, ostrich in cherry sauce and MouCo camembert mac and cheese.

Plank, the soon-to-open Old Town restaurant, is Laguens' newest venture. As the longtime local sommelier, private chef and former restaurant- and wine-store owner sits in the sun, he radiates with excitement while talking about Plank: the food, the drink, the fun. His and partner Melisse Merrell's stylish restaurant will open on May 22 at 181 N. College Ave., which used to be home to Suzette's and Fiona's. The address has been a revolving door for different eateries, but if Laguens' vision is realized, Plank will be a different beast.

“I can't do anything unless I'm in love with it,” he said. “And I'm in love with this place. It will be the best restaurant in town because I won't stop until it is.”

Plank is the newest stage in Laguens’ career evolution. He has worked in the restaurant industry for more than 25 years, serving as executive chef or managing sommelier at handfuls of restaurants. He has hosted hundreds of wine and food pairing seminars across the country and began producing his own wines in 2006. Ciao Vino Wine Bar and Old Town Wine and Spirits were both his ventures.

But for some years, Laguens has been flying out on weekends for work as a private chef and restaurant consultant. And the schedule—the hours away from his son Jupiter—has grown tiring. When he saw the “for rent” sign on the North College Avenue storefront, the idea took hold of him. When he found that a friend owned the building who told Laguens that he would be a perfect fit for the spot, the deal was sealed.

Then he found Melisse Merrell, a longtime New Belgium Brewing Co. employee, as an investor and the two began to develop the concept and to overhaul the space to fit their wants and needs.

The small location, decorated with a funky, industrial look, will seat just 50 guests five nights a week. The tiny staff will serve up Laguens' haute cuisine creations, meals fit for the staunchest of gastronauts and the most demanding of foodies. The chef plans to change Plank's menu every other month, satiating appetites with his brand of super fresh, super simple cookery.

“Basically, my theory is to buy the best ingredients I can find and try not to mess them up,” he laughed.

As he lists off his menu, that theory becomes very obvious. The food is simple, the flavors clean and balanced but still elegant and thoughtful. There will likely be more edgy creations but Laguens will also offer comfort food with a twist. All will be completed with an eye for highlighting and complementing the flavors in the ingredients.

With that food philosophy in tow—along with years of restaurant experience, a local reputation and hordes of supportive friends—Laguens and Merrell are expecting their new spot to thrive, even in current tough economic times. They expect Plank to be popular from the moment the doors open: a cool little spot where the chef is on display, the drinks flow, the food is divine and the vibe is unlike any other place in town.

“We expect there to be a really good energy. You are never going to hear knives and forks hitting the plate. The music is going to be a little louder, the conversation is going to be a little louder and there's going to be more energy,” he said. “The goal is to have this be the first urban restaurant in Fort Collins.”

Indeed, Fort Collins has much to offer in the way of food variety and quality but has yet to garner a reputation as a culinary lodestone. Laguens sees Plank as having the potential to break those barriers.

“Things have changed, yes. But we are still this hippie, organic-loving Fort Collins,” he said. “There are foodies, for sure. But it's still junior in the food scene. It's so laid back, and I know people are going to wear cut-off shorts and flip flops. And I don't care. … I just want to turn them on to good stuff.”

With its equivocal moniker—named after the piece of wood-turned-toy of Laguens' son—Plank joins the trend of hip-yet-ambiguously named restaurants, like Denver's The Corner Office, Potager, 4580 and Bang! The name gives little hint at what's in store for diners, but that's the way Laguens wants it to be.

“We really wanted the name to have nothing to do with the restaurant. … We were thinking about naming it Patrick's but that sounds like an Irish pub, and this is not an Irish pub, but it's also not not an Irish pub,” he said.

What Laguens means is that Plank is beyond definition. The menu will not be put into one category like Italian or Asian fusion. It's whatever is fresh and whatever inspires Laguens that particular month. While he will likely keep some basics—like always having a vegetable dish, a fish dish and some form of pommes frites—the menu will be an ever-changing exhibition of culinary creativity and skill.

While there will be a certain foodie vibe to the place, one of Laguens' main priorities is having fun and inspiring fun in his staff and customers.

“I'm a happy chef,” he said. “There are two kinds chefs. There are some who lead by fear and there are others who lead by example. I'm the find of chef who's like, 'slow down, relax.' It's really mostly about having fun.”

When customers enter Plank, they will see Laguens and his sous chef through a cutout in the wall. It's his way for playing host to his guests.

“People can't help but get excited when they see me excited cooking,” he said.



Plank

Opens May 22

Tuesday-Saturday, 4 p.m. to midnight.

Sunday open at 6:30 for 20-person $50 family-style meal.

970-484-0297