Pazo, Foreman Wolf's Southern Italian restaurant on Aliceanna Street, will close in three weeks to make way for a new Argentinian bar and restaurant.
The restaurant will close for renovations Sept. 17 to transform to Bar Vasquez, a New World Argentinian restaurant, bar and lounge. Bar Vasquez is expected to open in October.
Located at 1425 Aliceanna St., Pazo has seen its share of changes during the last several years. The space opened in 2004 as a Spanish restaurant, and transitioned to serve Southern Italian cuisine in 2014.
Tony Foreman, a partner in Foreman Wolf Restaurant Group, said Pazo was designed to shake up the city's dining scene when it opened, and he thinks it succeeded.
"Twelve years is a heck of a run," Foreman said. "We had a staggeringly popular run for a long while."
Foreman and business partner Cindy Wolf have traveled to Argentina a number of times over the years, and enjoyed experimenting with Argentinian dishes. The new concept is named for Wolf's mentor, Argentinian-born chef Marcelo Vasquez.
"It's one of those things Cindy and I both have an affection for," Foreman said.
When the restaurant reemerges as Bar Vasquez, chef Mario Cano Catalan will head the kitchen. Catalan has worked in a number of Foreman Wolf kitchens, including Pazo, Cinghiale and Charleston. Chef Julian Marucci currently serves as executive chef at Pazo and Cinghiale, another Foreman Wolf establishment, and will remain at Cinghiale.
"We're excited to do something else," Foreman said. "You live in the house you love, but you want to redo the house."