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Frank and Carmelo Gabriele have been looking to open a restaurant that's a little more casual than what they're used to.
The owners of Il Bel Lago (along with their father, Giovanni Gabriele of Giovanni's on the Hill) have long been associated with fine dining. And here we feel we have borrow a line from Seinfeld--"not that there's anything wrong with that"--as fine dining doesn't enjoy the popularity and success it once did.
It's just that if any restaurateur currently buying white tablecloths is thinking of doing something else...it probably won't involve white tablecloths.
Enter Cini Italian Chow (no, not Ciao), a concept the Gabriele brothers conceived with David Jones, an area developer of over a dozen Buffalo Wild Wings stores. According to Carmelo Gabriele, Jones brings to the table what he and his brother do not: the knowledge and ability to open several stores, simultaneously, which is part of their business plan.
The flagship unit will be located in the Flats at 374 building (at right), immediately south of the former Naugles/Del Taco "saucer" (a site the trio was eyeballing, but could not secure). Every concept needs a hook, and here it's the cini, a mini-arancini, a 1-ounce version of the Italian staple that's often the size of a tennis ball. A variety of savory cinis will be offered in packs of three to five, and there'll be a sweet version or two as well.
The cinis will anchor a menu of inexpensive pastas (both fresh and dried), salads, and piadinas (an Italian flatbread containing cheeses, vegetables and various proteins) that gets folded in half, taco-style.
As with other fast-casual concepts, customers will navigate a counter, picking and choosing, then taking a seat; their choices are prepared on the spot or delivered within several minutes. Gabriele pointed out that the concept will operate "like an Italian Chipotle" and that "$10 and under" is the key price point, the sweet spot. We might add that for many younger diners, it's also the new normal. As SLU students live literally steps away, Gabriele figures that "fast Italian" should have mass appeal.
Restaurant concepts are most effective and efficient when several units are rolled out simultaneously. Look for the midtown Cini to open in mid September and a location in the developing Ladue Colonial Marketplace (in development, at left) to bow in early February. There have been rumors that a second The Original Pancake House will open in the latter center as well, but Relish learned yesterday that lease is still in negotiations.
The section of Ladue Rd (just east of I-170) just may become the area's next dining hot spot, as several other restaurants have shown interest in both the Colonial Marketplace and in the buildings to the east, across Gay Avenue: Mini of St. Louis will be moving their dealership soon, vacating their space as soon as some tire-kicker (sorry, had to do it) gets serious enough to ink a lease. Existing eateries along that stretch are J. McGraugh's Bar & Grill and the flagship Northwest Coffee, home of barista eggs.
