Before Cynthia Vigil and her husband, Chad Reinhardt, became restaurateurs, she ran a fashion tech company, and he was an Army captain with an engineering degree. Together, they’ve opened seven restaurants in seven years. The latest, and grandest, is Benny & Mary’s at the Irvine Towers office campus. Vigil designed every inch of the interior, right down to the creation of the fabrics, in a style that’s both whimsical and sophisticated. She also oversees menu development and names the cocktails – anybody up for a Ctrl Alt Dill-ete?
What do Benny and Mary have in common with Chad and Cynthia?
Benny and Mary are an exciting couple I made up. Benny was a retired interior designer and Mary his ex-fashion-model wife. They have the best dinner parties – everybody wants an invitation! I want you to feel you’re walking into their home for a high-energy dinner party with a quirky menu of eccentric cuisine. The name Benny & Mary’s was originally a play on eggs Benedict and bloody Marys. We primarily serve dinner, but we have brunch, too.
“Benny and Mary are an exciting couple I made up. Benny was a retired interior designer and Mary his ex-fashion-model wife. They have the best dinner parties – everybody wants an invitation!”
Cynthia Vigil
What do you mean by “eccentric” cuisine?
Fun, a little funky, kind of youthful and kind of silly. We have grilled cheese dumplings served in a spoon, we have mini chicken tinga tacos – but you can also have a filet mignon. Think California eclectic, California global. In California, you can have tacos, and next door there’s Mediterranean, and both feel like everyday foods. In California, you can have everything.
How do you make such a sprawling space feel cozy?
Color, pattern, fabrics. My design aesthetic is maximalism. More is more, not less is more. A lot of restaurants are white, clean, crisp and bright and very open – we’re moving away from that. Putting a lot of different patterns and textures together is what gives you that cozy feeling. We want the experience to be a little fancy but not pretentious – a place you can let go and be comfortable with your friends.
Where did you find it all?
I designed the patterns on my curtains and had them made. The faux crocodile pillars, the velvets, the chandeliers – all of it is custom-made.
And the art on the walls?
I found all the artwork, too. One portrait immediately made me want to go out, to do my hair, to spend three days picking out my outfit for Friday night. The artist was in Texas. I kept calling her and calling her, but she didn’t get back to me. I found out she couldn’t pay her phone bill. I wired her money so she could respond so I could buy her art. I’m commissioning her to do more.
