A Cantinetta Clone Comes to Bellevue
Wallingford’s popular Italian eatery will have an Eastside outpost by the end of summer.
Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Apr 28, 2010 at 03:21PM
1 Comments
Brian Cartenuto, executive chef of hugely popular but very small Italian eatery Cantinetta, confirms that he and owner Trevor Greenwood will be opening a second Cantinetta at 10038 Main Street in Bellevue, right up the street from Monsoon East.
Unlike the Eastside outposts of many a Seattle restaurant, Cantinetta II will not be a massive version of its parent eatery. “It’s the same size, same concept” as the Wallingford restaurant, says Cartenuto. “We always talked about expanding, and the market is great in terms of asking for what you need.” And while Cartenuto says he has nothing against the corporate-style mega-restaurants that dominate the Eastside, he aims to “draw a line in the sand” by bringing a small mom-and-pop Italian restaurant to downtown Bellevue.
Of course, Cartenuto and Greenwood also hope to draw that well-heeled Redmond-Kirkland crowd, the one that regularly shows its affinity for high-end Italian eating at Holly Smith’s Cafe Juanita.
Cartenuto will be head chef at both restaurants; he says he and Greenwood hope to open their Bellevue branch by late July or early August.
This is great news – I’m looking forward to the opening!