Sparrow & Wolf Marks the New Downtown Perch for Chef Brian Howard

Despite a lengthy, publicly available paper trail, local developer Addison Thom and chef Brain Howard have been bizarrely denying the former Comme Ca chef was collaborating on a new Arts District project.

But new paperwork once again confirms Howard will be helming a 2,649-square-foot concept, to be built inside the former vintage clothing store The Attic. New permits reveal the name has changed from Huntsman to the less violent Sparrow & Wolf. Early design plans had once tentatively dubbed the venture Wolf.

Applications for Sparrow & Wolf's construction permits were registered this week and Howard has already announced the name in his new online bio, promoting local indoor farming company Urban Seed.

The original permit applications to the city described the team as building an "American Heritage" themed interior, "celebrating the past and present of the American culture tradition of meat, through the use of old world flavors in a modern manner." The decor was once imagined to resemble "an old root cellar with rough saw wood accents, brick and exposed block contrasting with ceramic tiles and stainless steel."

Next door, within the same building, but with its own dedicated entrance and rear patio, will be the King Hippo "urban lounge." Early paperwork listed downtown mixologists Lyle Cervenka and Bryant Jane as managers on the project. Thom has also declined to acknowledge their involvement in the lounge.

Cervenka is known for his work as a bartender at the Velveteen Rabbit and Retroscena and Jane was last seen as the managing partner at Radio City Pizzeria and in charge of the beverage program at the pizza joint's Retroscena bar alongside Cervenka.

It has been almost a year and half since Howard manned a permanent kitchen and first announced his plans to leave the Strip and set out on his own. Despite much publicity, Harvest & Larder, his high profile collaboration with Corey Nyman, never progressed further than basic construction work before being quietly abandoned.

No timetable for the completion of Sparrow & Wolf or King Hippo has been revealed.