Spinoffs are the hottest news in town at the moment.

With Tom Douglas hard at work on a new restaurant next to Etta’s Seafood, Tamara Murphy of Brasa carving Terra Plata out of the building behind Ristorante Machiavelli, and Chef in the Hat Thierry Rautureau making Rover’s a little sibling named Luc—it appears that economic optimism is back on the menu.

We’ll take two helpings, please.

Perhaps most exciting for its is immediacy is the opening of Serafina Ciccheti, the Venetian bar Susan Kaufman unveils next week off the courtyard of her wildly popular rustic Italian standby, Serafina.

Soft openings for famiglia happen this week for working out bugs, Kaufman whispers. But starting Tuesday, November 24, she’ll fling wide the doors of the mod little joint with the mezzanine, open kitchen, and lake views…and start filling seats for real.

Look for a happy surfeit of bar liquids and small plates filled with the earthy, real food Kaufman’s built her reputation on. Not precious little foofy minimalist numbers…but real food, from a real wood-burning oven.

How will it be? Watch this space.