Pelican Club in Galveston, Texas, will open to the public for the first time in its 58-year history on April 16. 

Previously a members-only club affiliated with Gaido’s, the restaurant will reopen as a progressive American restaurant. Leading the transformation from the kitchen is the talented executive chef Ross Warhol, a native of Buffalo, New York, whose passion for local ingredients and innovative culinary creations are bound to put Galveston on the culinary map.

“We identified a demographic in Galveston looking for a dining experience that is interactive and unique,” says Casey Gaido, president of Gaido’s. “Chef Warhol creates this type of experience, and we’re excited to introduce the new Pelican Club to the public this spring.”

The menu and membership options aren’t the only elements of Pelican Club that will change. The restaurant is also undergoing renovations to provide a more intimate dining experience. The restaurant will feature 11 tables, seating 36 people at a time. One of the 11 tables is the exclusive Chef’s Table, seating six people per night for a prix-fixe dining experience with 80 percent locally sourced ingredients.

“I’m looking forward to bringing my creations to Texas,” Warhol says. “My goal is to provide guests with the freshest ingredients prepared and presented as works of art. I want to generate good conversation through my culinary designs.”

Warhol’s dedication to providing guests with the freshest ingredients possible is something he’s been passionate about throughout his career. Before taking the reins at Pelican Club, he opened Bloom, a farm-to-table restaurant at the famed Athenaeum Hotel in the Chautauqua Institution in New York. In addition to his work at Bloom, Warhol’s diverse experience includes training at the Culinary Institute of America and working at famous kitchens including Spain’s El Bulli, the French Laundry in California, Alinea in Chicago, and James Beard House in Manhattan.