When Taste Mediterranean Grille closed suddenly last week, there was still a glimmer of hope that things would be worked out between the restaurant's ownership group and the company (Colliers International) that was leasing them the Allegheny Avenue restaurant space.
But, barring a Hail Mary pass, Taste Mediterranean is out of business after a five-month run. This is according to Tim Hearn of Colliers International.
Hearn said that he is preparing to market the restaurant space, which he said saw approximately $400,000 in improvements before Taste opened its doors last fall. (This was the old Troia Cafe, which is now across the street). Hearn pointed to other successful restaurants on the Allegheny strip as evidence of the space' viability. "There were operator problems," he said, about the situation at Taste.
Taste Mediterranean Grille was promoted as a showcase for the talents of the chef Luigi Palumbo, who is also said to run his own restaurant in Napoli. Palumbo, you may remember, was the chef who made a chocolate mousse adored by that Pope John Paul II.
I'm still putting in calls to the ownership group before I declare Taste a casualty. I want to make sure I have the players sorted out, too.