Mongolian 211 Offers Mongolian Barbeque to Yorkville Crowd

A cool thing happened when renovations took place at Mongolian 211: Pieces of history were uncovered as the drywall was removed and the brick exposed.

"I think one of the coolest things we preserved was the brick wall and they left, when they got down to they brick and found what was used as insulation was posters and newspaper articles," Rachel Conover, executive chef of Mongo 211 and Cobblestone Bakery & Bistro said.

Those renovating the building chose to save those items.

"The kind (of brick) that is exposed now, most of it is, well, all of it is from the 1800s," Conover said.

Renovations were pretty extensive.

"The cafe before, it's not going to be recognizable," she said. "There were definitely things we needed to fix."

In trying to decide what kind of a restaurant should occupy the space along Route 47, Conover said the goal was to find something the community was lacking. She also wanted to provide an environment with healthier options.

When you sit down to eat at Mongolian 211, you get a large bowl and a smaller bowl. Noodles and vegetables go in the large bowl and meats or seafood in the smaller bowl.

"We're trying to encourage (customers) toward healthier options," she said.

Conover said since Mongolian 211 opened its doors in June, she has noticed it attracts a different crowd than its nearby neighbor Cobblestone Bakery & Bistro.

Teenagers and 20-somethings seem to gravitate towards Mongolian 211 and they are less likely to go to Cobblestone.

Conover is going to be at the helm of the two restaurants - she owns Cobblestone Bakery & Bistro - and eventually a third when Kendall Pub is renovated. She says she knows she cannot do it alone.

"Really, I am only as strong as the team I build around me," she said. "To be able to build multiple locations, you have to have a strong team."

Mongolian 211 is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Lunch starts at $9.99 and dinner at $12.99.