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For lots of years, the Old Town restaurant space next to the Romano Gabriel Sculpture Garden seemed cursed. Restaurants came and went almost as quickly as we bought new calendars.

Then, finally, along came the Greene Lily, which not only survived but thrived in the space. And now it’s outgrown it! In the last couple of weeks, restaurateur Charity Desbrow has shifted her operations to the old Oberon space near the corner of Second and F and acquired a hard liquor license to boot. Big doings!

Desbrow joins the Outpost’s John Kennedy O’Connor to talk about the newly empurpled space and her plans for it. Video above, transcript below.

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JOHN KENNEDY O’CONNOR:

Well, welcome to another Humboldt Conversation. I’m really thrilled to say that we’re here today with Charity Desbrow, who’s just opened a new restaurant — but it’s not a new name to Eureka. It is the Greene Lily Cafe, which you opened three years ago, actually, in downtown.

CHARITY DESBROW:

Seven and a half.

O’CONNOR:

Oh, my goodness. Even longer. Yeah. But we’re now in this beautiful new facility, which has literally just opened. Yes. So, congratulations. Thank you.

CHARITY DESBROW:

We kind of outgrew our space, so just … fell in my lap.

O’CONNOR:

I think you’re going to be expanding more now you’re in this wonderful new position.

DESBROW:

Yeah, we’re definitely gonna be doing dinner now that we have a full bar. I feel like it’s kind of necessary, but we’ve been doing breakfast, lunch and brunch for seven and a half years. And yeah, we’re growing. 

O’CONNOR:

Yeah, it is one of the most famous spots. Now, champagne please?

DESBROW:

Yes.

O’CONNOR:

Yes, please!

DESBROW:

Where’s my button?

O’CONNOR:

So you mentioned you have a full bar here as well. Now, you also have a very cool upstairs space. What’s going to happen with that?

DESBROW:

Yes, so we’re gonna probably do some private parties, maybe extra seating like during Mother’s Day and graduation. You know those big holidays and stuff where you need a little extra seats.

O’CONNOR:

Well, it’s very cool space. So that’s going to be available for evening rental.

DESBROW:

And daytime also and I joke with everybody because there’s a cute little booth up there. You don’t see me down here. I’m hiding up there.

O’CONNOR:

It’s a good place to hide. Now, it seemed to me that the new cafe space opened very quickly. Oh, yeah. Everyone went up and suddenly you’re all open.

DESBROW:

Yeah, yeah, 34 days and counting. 

O’CONNOR:

So, who did the design work?

DESBROW:

So a gentleman that did the initial padded walls, I got in touch with him. His name is Thomas Ocean and I asked him if he’d be willing to do some more work on my booth and he said hey, I just happen to have a crew right now And so we just went from there and yeah, he was like, we can do the flooring we could paint, we can do all this stuff

O’CONNOR:

It’s really lovely and the outside is looking great.

DESBROW:

Yeah, yeah, nice and bright. Can’t miss me.

O’CONNOR:

Now, any changes to the menu since you’ve moved? 

DESBROW:

No, just the full bar. That’s a big change for all of us. I’ve never served a cocktail in my life. So when people order something, I’m like, huh?

O’CONNOR:

But you’ve probably had a few?

DESBROW:

Just a couple, but I’m more of a champagne girl!

O’CONNOR:

A woman after my own heart!

DESBROW:

Oh, thank you.

O’CONNOR:

So obviously this is a big expansion for you. What’s next? Another restaurant?

DESBROW:

Oh God, no, we’re just gonna hold on tight right here. Yeah, I haven’t slept in days. We joked earlier, I haven’t had a vegetable in a month.

O’CONNOR:

Vegetables are a right.

DESBROW:

Right? I got an apple yesterday, we’re good.

O’CONNOR:

Well you’re looking great in it. Anything else you’d like to share about the future of the Greene Lily?

DESBROW:

No, just that we’re so happy to be here. And I mean, we don’t even have a phone yet. And look around. Like, we’ve been so busy. Everybody knows that we’re here. Everybody has been so supportive. And I am so blessed and thankful.

O’CONNOR:

Yeah, I mean I came in a couple of last week and the week before and you’ve been absolutely popping every day.

DESBROW:

Yeah, we’ve been crazy. We’ve been totally crazy. We’re all really tired. And this space is much larger, so we’re getting our steps in.

O’CONNOR:

That’s making up for the lack of vegetables.

DESBROW:

That’s right, that’s right.

O’CONNOR:

The vegetables are on the menu…

DESBROW:

Yeah. There are lots of vegetables on the menu, and lots of grapes.

O’CONNOR:

Well, next time I come along we’ll have champagne.

DESBROW:

Wonderful. I look forward to that.

O’CONNOR:

Charity, it’s a great pleasure to meet you. Thank you. Congratulations and good luck with the new space.

DESBROW:

Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

O’CONNOR:

Thank you for joining us for a Humboldt Conversation. See you again very soon.