Little Italy will soon have a new spot for sipping wine and nibbling on appetizers.
Pane e Vino is set to open in a South High Street property directly next door to Cafe Gia, an Italian restaurant owned by Gia Blattermann along with her husband, the restaurant's executive chef, Gianfranco Fracassetti.
The location is not a coincidence. Blattermann and Fracassetti are not the owners of Pane e Vino — Blattermann's older brother, Steven Blattermann, is — but the couple are very much involved in the venture.
"We are collaborating with my brother on this project," said Blattermann, who was at Pane e Vino on a Thursday morning waiting for a delivery of bar stools. Fracassetti was helping to create the bar's menu, she said, while she was helping with the interior design.
The new bar, which can accommodate about 30 guests, will keep nighttime hours and serve a small menu of cheese plates, charcuterie and appetizers. Blattermann described the bar's design as "very modern, urban country chic," with dark warm wood, chandeliers and a mix of metal surfaces.
Pane e Vino, whose name is Italian for "bread and wine," is not an extension or expansion of Cafe Gia, Blattermann said. Although the properties that house Cafe Gia and Pane e Vino are adjacent, they won't have an interior connection, although that may change down the line.
Blattermann said she expects Pane e Vino to be ready for a March 12 cocktail event, with the bar open for regular business shortly before or after.
"We're very excited but nervous at the same time," Blattermann said. "I'm confident that it will be really well received. We did a lot of research, and I listen to my guests"