Kitchen and Rail, a new restaurant in Eagan, MN, is attracting diners from the neighborhood with its scratch cooking, craft cocktails and open kitchen. Its owners, Victor Salamone and Joe Newhouse, are industry veterans who are determined to bring something different to the area and create a destination for diners that can’t be found anywhere else in Eagan.
A pot rail, a type of hanging bar, is the best way to free up surface space in your kitchen while also providing quick access to your most-used tools and items. It can be mounted near the stove top, over your counter or in any spot where you’d like to store a few of your most-used utensils, but it works best if it’s securely installed on a stud.
If you don’t have enough studs on the wall to mount a pot rail, consider putting one on the window sill, where it will be sturdy and easy to see from a distance. The window frame makes the rail feel more like a decorative feature than a storage solution, so it’s important to choose one that matches the rest of your decor, says Mangini.
Gallery rails, which are made from metal or wood, can be used to hold plates and glasses up against the edge of a shelf. They’re a simple and effective way to protect fragile or expensive items.
The same type of rail is also used by line cooks to hold their incoming tickets, which they then clear when they’re ready to serve their guests. It’s a great addition to any kitchen, especially if you have a small space where you can’t fit a cabinet door.
To maximize the space, hang a few slim rails above your cabinets or under a shelf. For example, a long wooden floating shelf across the wall in Astrid Gagliardi Reifer’s kitchen doubles as a kitchen storage superhero and a pot rack to hold a few brass pots and a ladle. She’s tucked a small black rail beneath the shelf to give it some visual interest.
Stainless steel is a great choice for any type of railing because it’s both durable and easy to clean. It’s also stain-resistant, making it a wise option for the areas of your home that will get a lot of wear and tear, such as the kitchen.
In a kitchen, where the focus is on food preparation and the work environment can be fast-paced, it’s easy to lose track of time. This is why it’s essential to have a place to put the utensils and tools that you use most often.
For instance, if you’re working on a roast, you’ll want to have your best slicing knife at hand in a place where it can easily be reached and stowed away, and you can’t leave it lying around on the countertop, so hang a few slim rails above your range, right where it’s easiest to reach.
A few inches above the sink is a perfect spot for a narrow pot rail that will hold a few of your most-used kitchen utensils, including a ladle and a spatula. You can even install a pot rail in an area of the kitchen where you don’t have a lot of counter or cabinet space, such as by the refrigerator.
